Our Beats Incarnate
by NKC
Summary: If some things are truly meant to be, if no twist of fate can keep two destined souls apart, if a another chance at life is another chance to find each other and fall in love all over again, is that not a chance worth taking? Does love know boundaries?
1. Book I: Ch 1: To Dream of an Angel

**Author's Note: **This marks my first foray into the Angel Beats! fandom, and I'm hoping that it will be a good one. I'm going to be pouring a lot of myself into this piece, drawing on as many emotions as I am capable of feeling. So I warn you now, there may be some amazing highs and some incredible lows by the time I'm finished here. And if at any point you should find it incredibly cliché, you have my apologies for that too.

This will be the first book of at least six drafts I have prepared. There may yet be more after that, so please bear with me. Each book has a role to play within the full duration of this story, and each has a slightly different theme.

If you read this story then please take the time to review it. I don't mind praise, I don't mind criticism. If there's something I can use or do to improve my writing style then I'm going to be relying upon _you _to point it out to me.

I would also like to have somebody familiar with Angel Beats! act as a Beta for me on this. If this first chapter grabs you in any way and you'd be interested in helping me perfect the parts that follow hereafter then please drop me a message and we'll arrange something.

Thank you for coming here. I hope you enjoy reading.

NKC

**Angel Beats!** エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 1: To Dream of an Angel**

_Kanade looked up at him, her golden eyes pleading with the full force of every fibre of her being, begging him to repeat the words he'd spoken to her mere moments before. He couldn't overlook the knowing sadness there, the acceptance in her eyes of what had to come next, "Please let me believe in everything you believed in."_

_Yuzuru faltered, his own eyes filled with the cacophony of bitter and conflicting emotions from within his very heart – regret for a love that was not yet lost, longing for a future that was not yet won. Regret over a truth already on the verge of being realised. He knew very well the price of what she wanted him to say, the weight that those few little worlds carried for both of their fates. He _knew_ exactly what it would mean, what would happen afterwards, and that if he were to accept that – if he surrendered to it – it would mean losing the very thing he was desperately fighting to keep a hold of. He couldn't exist here without her. It would be no existence at all._

_He closed his eyes, barely able to bear it._

"_Let me believe that…" he heard the sad smile as it worked its way slowly across her lips, "That life is worth living."_

_He opened his eyes again, overflowing now with all the pain and anguish of a future he knew he was about to deny himself. To grant her wish, to accept what she needed him to accept, to let her move on… To accept a future in this world without her._

"_Yuzuru…" she pleaded once more._

"_Kanade." he pulled her into his arms, holding her as close as he possibly could. She wrapped her own arms around him, returning the embrace, "I love you. Let's stay together forever." he fought to hold back his tears, but his voice still faltered. He wanted to hold her here, so close that she could never ever leave._

"_Yes…" she replied, barely a raw whisper into his chest, "Thank you, Yuzuru."_

"_Let's stay together forever and ever, okay?" he pleaded softly, barely daring to hope that it was possible._

"_Okay. Thank you."_

_He pulled her tighter still into his arms, "I love you Kanade" his sorrow rose with urgency, begging her without words to remain there with him._

_Kanade closed her eyes, her head rested against his chest, "Right" a contented, sorrowful smile was just about all that she could muster, "Thank you so much"_

_Tears began to well up in Yuzuru's eyes, streaking freely down his cheeks, leaving warm and bitter trails as they soaked into his collar._

"_Kanade…" his whimpered through the tears, holding her all the tighter. He no longer had the strength to let go._

"_Thank you for loving me." She went on, as if it were the greatest gift in the world. As if nothing in all of existence could have made her happier._

"_Please don't pass on, Kanade." Yuzuru begged her, desperate now, feeling – knowing – the inevitable, powerless to stop it, "Kanade!"_

"_Truly and deeply…" she whispered with absolute certitude, "Thank you," she closed her eyes for the final time, nothing left but the most earnest gratitude of a deepest wish fulfilled, "For giving my life to me."_

_And, like the most beautiful of dreams, she was gone._

-o-O-o-

Once upon a time, I gave a girl my heart…

-o-O-o-

With a start, Yuzuru sat bolt upright in his bed, his eyes wide in a moment of panic and a cold sweat plastering his bedclothes to his skin. A wave of apprehensive goose bumps washed across his flesh and a chilled shiver ran down his spine, marking the end of the recurring nightmare as his senses pulled him back to the less vivid reality of the dimly lit bedroom in which he was currently sitting.

It took him a few moments longer to fully quell his rising panic, and he flung himself back onto his cool, sodden mattress with an uneasy sigh. He ran a hand through his fringe, hoping to clear his mind and collect his thoughts as his heart returned to a more restful rhythm. The little alarm clock on the floor beside him cast its light onto the ceiling, declaring in a deep, eerie blue that it was a few minutes to six in the morning.

The exact same time, the exact same dream; as was his near-nightly ritual of torment. It had plagued him now for so long that he could no longer recall a time before the dream – of the silver-haired, golden eyed girl of his fantasies, lost to him for all eternity. He had no idea who she was, or why this dream was so persistent in its recurring torment, but there was little he could do to keep it at bay.

No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, it would always return like an inescapable terror hunting him down in the night.

But what disturbed him the most was how _real _it all felt – the setting felt real, the emotions it touched deep in his soul felt real. The _girl _felt real.

The shrill beep of his alarm clock interjected rudely into his thoughts, drawing him back once again to the wider world of his bedroom. It was still before sunrise, the skies to the east not even threatening faint morning twilight yet, and there was a distinct chill in the air. Stars twinkled slowly through his window, revealing a cloudless sky. If it remained that way then the day would be sunny, warm, and glorious.

_Monday… I hate Monday…_

They were always such hard work, after a weekend of rest. Or after what had turned out to be a weekend of hard work and intense revision for the examinations of the coming week. He knew he had to be prepared for these tests, if he ever wanted to qualify as a doctor. But he still resented being forced to surrender a well-earned weekend off.

Relaxation would just have to wait, it seemed, until the week was over and done with.

With an unrestrained grunt of disgust Yuzuru slapped his hand down hard on the snooze button before rolling over and pulling up his futon, still feeling exhausted, "Five more minutes…"

He wasn't ready for the dawn.

-o-O-o-

The next sound to greet Yuzuru's ears wasn't the irritating beep of his alarm clock, but the angered buzz of his phone as it vibrated its way slowly across his desk. It wasn't enough to rouse him fully from his sleep. But when it reached the edge and ran out of desk it plummeted to the floor, impacting the hard wood with a loud crack, grabbing his attention as if it had been a gunshot.

"I'm up!" Yuzuru jumped to his feet with a start, flinging his futon clear across his room.

It took him a moment to fully get his bearings, trying to figure out what was going on. His phone, still buzzing, now began to make a slow journey across the hardwood floor. The screen danced in brightly illuminated warning as it tried to grab his attention.

"Oh, crap!" he dived for it, barely pausing to take note of the writing on the screen telling him exactly who it was calling.

With a flick of his wrist he accepted the call, "Hello?"

"_Otonashi?" _an agitated voice came down the receiver, _"Where the heck are you?"_

It took a few seconds of silence for the familiar voice to register as somebody he knew, "Igarashi?"

"_You should've been here half an hour ago!"_ his classmate from medical school went on.

"What? What are you…" Yuzuru puzzled, "Hold on." He reached over to his alarm clock, picking it up and inspecting it closely to double-check the time. The numbers on the front were flashing midnight, "Oh no!"

"_Look… The train's here already." _His friend sighed,_ "I can't afford to wait for the next one and risk missing the exam…"_

"No," Yuzuru rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes with a sigh, "No, I understand."

"_You'd better get a move on, or you'll miss it too." _

"I'll get there as quickly as I can." Without even pausing to say goodbye he slammed the phone shut, disconnecting the call.

For the briefest moments Yuzuru simply sat there in silence, collecting his thoughts.

"Shit!" and he bolted from his room.

-o-O-o-

The journey to his class was normally a fairly pleasant one. A brisk fifteen minute walk to the train station (or a five minute bus ride, if he could be bothered to fork out the extra funds), a ten minute train ride to the terminal just outside the Central Business District, and a further ten minute stroll to the lone building which constituted the med school campus. It ought to have been the same today – the sun was up, giving the day a comfortably bright and permeating warmth. Yuzuru allowed himself to enjoy it for a fleeting moment, if only to calm his nerves.

There was no point in rushing to the station and beating the next train there. He'd still have to wait five to ten minutes before the next one was due to arrive. Standing around just gave him time to think, and it seemed that lately whenever he allowed his mind to wander the only destination his thoughts could reach was that discomforting dream and the mysterious angelic girl within it.

He had spent years of his life trying to figure out exactly who she was and what the dream itself meant. She simply felt too real to be a pure figment of his imagination. But then, how could anything other than that even be possible? Well, he knew it couldn't – it was a dream, and only a dream. But still, even the most rational parts of his mind couldn't dispel the _feeling _that he somehow knew her, that it was all a part of some deep, locked-away memory rather than raw imagination.

It wasn't even as if he could recall exactly when he first started having those vivid visions. They'd been with him for so long now… But the harder he thought about it, the further he felt from any actual answers.

Yuzuru rounded a corner, entering the small business district which surrounded the mass transit terminal where the urban metro and bus stations met. It was always busier here, bustling with people starting their day, making their way to wherever they were going, and the pleasantness of the morning seemed only to draw out even more of them into the ever-moving throng.

A gentle mellifluous hum caught his ear for a moment, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

_Wait… _his eyes drew wider in revelation. _I know that tune from somewhere…_

Yuzuru half-turned toward the source, giving the melody his complete and undivided attention. It stirred up memories within him, indistinct and distant recollections, as if remembering a near-forgotten dream. People he knew, faces he vaguely recognised, places that seemed bizarrely unfamiliar yet reminiscent at the same time. And then, all at once, he envisioned the silver haired girl from his dreams. She was skipping happily in front of him as he walked, humming that very same tune to herself.

"_Where is that song from?" _he remembered asking,_ "You were humming it whilst setting things up earlier."_

_She stopped skipping, almost turning to him for a moment, "I don't remember exactly." _She replied, her voice as soft as silk.

"_I remember." _Another familiar face came into his vision; off-carmine hair held barely in check by a black hairband, eyes like vibrant emeralds, _"It's the last song Iwasawa was singing. It's called 'My Song'."_

_My Song…_

Yuzuru turned all the way around. There, a girl; short silvery hair and a face obscured by a hat busied herself with her mobile phone before casually pushing off from the wall she was leaning against, turning and starting to walk away, the melodious tune still escaping from her lips in a gentle hum.

If it was all truly just a dream, how could this girl possibly know it?

Yuzuru found his legs were carrying him forwards before he could even will himself to stop. An outstretched hand reached desperately for her shoulder, and the world around him seemed to fall away into insignificant silence as she turned around slowly to face him.

His breath caught in his throat as those deep golden eyes looked up at him in question. Her face, framed by the sunlit shimmering fronds of her hair, seemed to flow from one uncertain emotion to the next – puzzlement, askant suspicion, and fleeting surprise before a softly bashful blush settled across her gentle features.

"I'm…" Yuzuru tried to start, but found his mind reeling and his words faltering on his lips. _Is this her? Is this really the girl from my dream?_

She simply blinked back at him, though he was thankful she wasn't trying to move away.

"I'm sorry..." he began again, "This is going to sound strange, but that tune you were humming just now… What is it?"

She looked away from him, down at the ground for a moment, thinking. When she spoke, her voice was incredibly soft and unobtrusive, "I don't remember exactly… It's just…"

She fell into a moment of uncomfortable silence, digging the ball of her right foot nervously into the ground.

Yuzuru suddenly felt like an immense fool. Here he was, in the middle of a busy street, having just grabbed a girl who was – for all intents and purposes – a complete stranger. All in order to ask her about the song she was humming? And why, because she resembled somebody he'd seen in a dream? No, it was ludicrous; there was a rational explanation for it, no way she was who he'd imagined she was. Her hair was wrong, for one thing – much too short. It should've been all the way down her back. And she was older than the girl he'd seen in his dreams. Not by much, but it really couldn't be her.

And the song? It could be one he'd heard long ago without realising it, or maybe overheard on the radio. It was catchy, and it stuck in his mind. This was all just coincidence.

One big conspiracy of happenstance.

_Yuzuru, you idiot._

He sighed, brushing off his embarrassment as best he could, "I'm sorry. Were you waiting for somebody?"

She looked up at him again with those large golden orbs. Yuzuru felt something flutter deep down in the pit of his stomach, and he felt his unease return. There was _still _something incredibly familiar in those eyes, and it left him feeling troubled.

_Coincidence… _His inner voice reminded him, _Don't read anything into it. She'll only think you're crazy._

"Yes." She said simply, "But I'm not sure-"

A train approaching the station cut her off with an indiscreet blare of its horn, threatening its impending arrival. Yuzuru's eyes went wide as he remembered that he was supposed to be on the platform by now, ready to get on. He'd miss the exam entirely if he missed that train.

"Sorry!" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, then excused himself with as much dignity as he could muster, "I've got to go!"

As he turned and ran as quickly as he could towards the station the girl simply stood there and watch his hasty retreat. Even as he weaved through the ever thickening crowd, dodging left and right to avoid getting trampled, she didn't allow herself to lose sight of him until he ran through the doorway into the station, vanishing from her life as abruptly as he had entered it.

A moment of unsettled anxiety passed through her as she tried to think. Every day for as long as she could remember she'd been standing in that precise spot on the street, at that exact time of day, for reasons she couldn't entirely fathom. There was just this lingering feeling, this near overwhelming sense of necessity which she was unable to resist. _Be there._it told her. It was of the utmost importance, and she'd always obliged.

Today was the first time that anybody had actually stopped to speak to her. It was the first time anybody besides herself had recognised the song she was humming – a song that, as far as she was aware, had only ever come to her from the deepest corners of her dreams.

It was there, only in that one bittersweet recurrence that haunted her nightly sojourn into unconsciousness. Or so she'd thought.

_My Song._

That boy… He had known it. Maybe there was more he knew, more that he could tell her? If she could catch up to him then perhaps he'd be willing to explain it all to her. After all, he did bear a striking resemblance to-

No, there was no way that could be true. It just wasn't possible. But still, her curiosity was piqued. And that familiar, commanding inner voice which had always urged her to _be there _had changed its tune. Now, it told her, was the time to follow him. And as always, there was no way she was going to refuse.

Wherever it was that she was supposed to be right now seemed to fade away into pure insignificance. The new feeling that welled up within her left a strong need for answers, and she was more than willing to acquiesce. She had never refused it in the past.

Reseating the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she set off at a pace towards the station, holding her hat firmly in place atop her head with her free hand. Upon entering the station concourse she was greeted by the sight of a teeming mass of people coming and going about their business, and she realised with a fleeting moment of panic that she didn't know which platform she needed to find, let alone which train she needed to get on.

Her eyes happened upon the footbridge which connected the platform on the far side of the tracks to the one on which she was currently stood. The high ground would help her find him, surely. With a renewed resolve she made a dash for the stairway leading up onto the bridge, weaving her way through the opposing flock of commuters and scaling the stairs as quickly as she could.

The number of people on the crossing was thankfully fewer than down on the platforms below, and she didn't have to contend quite so vehemently as she made her way across to the half-way point. Taking a firm grasp of the upper rail of the bridge's enclosing safety fence and placing her foot firmly on the lower rung, she lifted herself up so that she could see over the edge and get a clear view of the entire station below.

Much to her dismay the heaving mass of people made it difficult for her to make out any particular individual from the crowd, let alone the orange-haired boy from before. No, she had to think logically about this – he was heading hurriedly for a train. There were currently only two trains stationed at the platforms, so if she was going to find him surely he'd be close to one of those?

One of the trains was a large, multi-carriage intercity service northbound to the nearest large city. For some reason that seemed to be the least likely candidate. Most of the people vying for position on that platform were smartly-dressed business folk heading off to work, and she was fairly sure that wasn't where the boy was going. He hadn't been dressed in a smart suit, and he certainly hadn't had a briefcase. He looked more like a student.

The second train, a three carriage local commuter service, seemed like the most sensible choice. Squinting down onto the platform she closely inspected the people alighting from and boarding the plain steel coaches. She had to hope that he wasn't already aboard, that she hadn't already missed him.

Her attention was drawn suddenly to a commotion amidst the churning mass of the crowd.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Can I squeeze through…?"

There he was, pushing his way urgently past anybody who happened to get in his way, hastily forcing his way through the crowd towards the smaller commuter train.

She didn't hesitate for an instant longer than she needed to, stepping back down onto the bridge and running to the stairs. She descended them two at a time, much to the warning and consternation of the people coming up in the opposite direction. Normally she wouldn't have been so rude, but she didn't have time to stop and apologise to the people she bumped into. She just couldn't afford any delay if she was going to make it to the train in time.

She lost sight of the boy the moment she was back down amongst the people on the concourse, but she still pushed on with determination towards the train. And there, through the briefest of partings in the crowd, she caught a clear glimpse of him stepping through the doors and boarding the rearmost carriage, his green shirt and orange hair unmistakable to her eyes.

"Excuse me." She requested quietly, forcing her way forwards.

The closer she got to the train the more clearly she could see. To her horror the doors began to slide shut, sealing with a mechanical whine and a pneumatic hiss. The engine's low idle rumble quickly increased in pitch to a loud roar as the train prepared to depart.

Reaching forwards urgently her fingers came into contact with the single-paned glass of the door, silently pleading for them to open. But, with a lurch, the train ignored her request and began to creep forwards and build up momentum.

"No…" she whimpered, keeping pace with the train, palm now knocking at the door with more urgency. Nobody heeded her silent plea, the train continuing to gain speed until it drew her into a fast-paced run. At last it accelerated beyond her, leaving the platform far behind as the tracks carried it forwards and away.

The girl struggled for a moment to catch her breath, leaning on her knees and drawing in air as deeply as she could.

"Not to worry, miss…" somebody from behind her spoke up. She turned to look, a tall, blue-haired porter standing there with a warm, kind smile on his face, "You can always catch the next one."

"No…" she panted softly, "It _had_ to be that train."

Ignoring the porter further, she turned towards the station exit. She could only hope she'd have another chance.

She'd wait for the boy tomorrow.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 1: To Dream of an Angel**


	2. Book I: Ch 2: Tenshi and Train Journeys

**Angel Beats!** エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 2: Tenshi and Train Journeys**

In the end, Yuzuru had made it to his examinations with mere moments to spare. Naturally Igarashi had spent the rest of the day ribbing him out about it, and then when Yuzuru had mentioned the girl he'd met at the station the torment had really intensified.

"You're really starting to lose it, Otonashi." His friend had teased between deep inhalations of his boxed lunch. Yuzuru sometimes wondered if he even took the time to chew, "On top of these strange nightmares you always tell me about, you're now stopping strangers in the street to quiz them on their musical preference."

Yuzuru rolled his eyes with disdain. He'd already pointed out exactly _why _he'd felt compelled to stop the girl. And then waxed on for half an hour about how strikingly similar she was to the girl from his dreams. Of course, he'd also outlined the differences and Igarashi had been quick to seize upon them and write the whole thing off as coincidence.

"After all…" a large chunk of a ball of rice was ripped off and vanished unceremoniously from existence with a slobbering gulp, "How many people are there in this city that match that description?"

It was a fairly compelling argument, Yuzuru had to admit. But that did little to quell the mixture of emotions which told him otherwise.

"And then to flunk your exams because you can't shift her from your mind…" chopsticks were jabbed aggressively in his direction to emphasise the point, "You're a lost cause, buddy."

"I don't know that I actually failed yet." He gritted his teeth, "I'm just saying that it was a distraction."

"Whatever. No way you passed it, doofus."

With an exasperated sigh, Yuzuru collapsed into his chair, "Thank you for that vote of confidence…"

His friend just chuckled, placing his empty lunch box on the table and fishing out a napkin to wipe his face, "So. Ready for the rest of your exams?"

Yuzuru shook his head, "As ready as I'll ever be. I'm not back here until Wednesday, so that gives me a free study day tomorrow. But my head's already swimming with so much nonsense I think I'd be better off taking it easy."

"No chance of you overdoing it, huh?" Igarashi teased.

Yuzuru protested with a deep frown, "Hey, lay off. We can't all get Firsts, you know."

Igarashi couldn't stifle the loud scoff that rose within him, "Nope. Some of us actually work for it."

"Alright, alright." Yuzuru held up both hands in mock surrender, happy to concede at that point, "Geeze, you're starting to sound like Hatsune."

"Little sister still pushing you around?" Igarashi leaned forwards, propping up his elbows on the table and resting his chin on the back of his hands, "Good to know I'm not the only one urging you to pull your finger out."

"Yeah. Whatever, man." Yuzuru rolled his eyes, rising to his feet, "I don't have to stay here to be abused. I've places to be."

Igarashi watched as his friend shouldered his backpack, pushing the chair under the table and out of the way. He raised an eyebrow, "Hunting for more dream-girls?"

Yuzuru winked and offered an overly enthusiastic thumbs-up, "You know it!"

Igarashi chuckled with amusement, "Give Hatsune my regards."

"Not a chance."

Igarashi returned the earlier thumbs up and wink. Yuzuru just shook his head, turning and walking away, leaving the food court with a grin.

He still had an awful lot to think about on the train home.

-o-O-o-

Tuesday came and Tuesday went with all the unfortunate tedium that a vacant weekday usually engendered. The weather had been truly abysmal, confining and condemning Yuzuru to indoor activities. And, at the moment, that essentially meant all that he could do was study some more. A relaxing walk in the park, a trip down to the arcade to blow some loose change, or even just stepping outside for some revitalising fresh air had been entirely out of the question.

Unless he was willing to make a swim for it. But it really didn't seem to be worth the trouble.

Wednesday morning, though, had started off with all the unexpected warmth and glory of a midsummer's day. It was incredibly irritating, the way the fates seemed to conspire against him like that. All of his free time lately seemed to be brimmed with bad weather, apparently sent especially, just to prevent him from enjoying himself. The fact that the days of his exams had both been uncompromisingly bright and sunny was just their way of adding insult to injury.

Thankfully the morning commute was proving far more subdued than it had been at the start of the week. For some reason there were fewer people around, or maybe people just weren't in as much of a rush? At any rate, Yuzuru had managed to get up on time, so he could afford to take his time to the station.

He was trying to focus his mind on the coming trials of the day, but the closer he got to the station the more he found his mind wandering to other things. The dream had come to him the night before, as vivid and as intrusive as ever. The fates really must hate him if they wouldn't even allow him one night of good solid sleep.

But when he'd awoken - as was the now time-honoured tradition - in the grips of a cold uncomfortable sweat, another image had come to his mind; the startlingly familiar girl from the beginning of the week, leaning casually against the wall, humming that unmistakably familiar tune without a care in the world. And then the moment when she'd turned around to look at him, her golden eyes meeting his and widening in surprise and question, forcing his breath to catch in his throat. Every fibre of his being told him that she and the girl in his dreams were somehow linked. And yet, that one teeny tiny little voice of rationality buried deep down in the recesses of his mind which would not stop trying to write it off as a coincidence.

The closer he got to the railway terminus the more anxious he began to feel. He knew it was entirely ridiculous, but he couldn't help but hope that she'd be there again.

When he rounded that final corner, though, there was nobody there. The spot where he'd met her on the Monday was completely empty.

With a sigh, Yuzuru continued on his way.

-o-O-o-

Even the train seemed to be unusually quiet compared to the normal clamour of rush hour, and for once Yuzuru didn't have to compete with a dozen other people in order to find a seat. It was by no means deserted, but the little cramped train still had one or two vacant seats when it finally departed the station.

Yuzuru had somehow managed to get a table seat. He even managed to monopolise the chair beside him in addition to his own, giving him somewhere to place his back that wouldn't eventually lead to a pair of dead legs or have it vanish beneath the seat. The number of books he'd managed to cram into the limited space was truly spectacular, each one there so that he could revise and try to cram ever more incomprehensible facts into his already overloaded mind.

With a sigh he pulled on the zip and opened up the bag, withdrawing a heavily creased book strewn from cover to cover with little protruding page markers. The pages carried with them the distinct scent of highlighter pen. It was only a short journey to his destination, but any additional little piece of information he could scour from the text could well prove invaluable in his exams – provided he could force it to stick in his mind long enough to be of use. And it beat sitting there and letting his mind wander and worry.

He was vaguely aware of his surroundings as he settled into his textbook, the slight clamour of conversation drowned out for a moment as the train's engine began to power up, starting with a lurch that made everybody in the carriage sway. Conversations soon began anew as the train gathered speed and the noise settled down from a loud motorised roar to the slowly increasing clicks of the wheels upon the rails.

Yuzuru blotted out the background goings on as he became ever more engrossed in his book. So much so that when a shadow came to settle over him it didn't register at all until he came to the end of his current paragraph.

He looked up, the sunlight shining through the windows on the far side of the carriage partially silhouetting the figure standing over him. His first thought was that the conductor had stopped by to check his ticket. But as he noticed the light filtering through that unmistakable silvery hair his eyes began to adjust to the contrast, and he could make out the features of her face.

_Those eyes… Those striking golden eyes…_

"May I sit down?" she asked him so quietly that at first he thought he'd imagined it. But the gentle blush of shy uncertainty which filled her cheeks told him that it wasn't all in his head.

"Erm… Sure." He gestured to the seat opposite, inviting her to join him.

She sat down quietly, slipping the strap of her shoulder and setting her bag on the chair beside her, his eyes watching her closely all the while. When she was settled she looked back at him. He took a moment to close his book, returning it carefully to his bag. When he was done she spoke up again.

"I tried to follow you the other day." She spoke after a few moments thick with uncertain silence. Yuzuru wasn't entirely sure how to respond – it was a very, very strange way to strike up a conversation. So, he said the first thing that came into his mind.

"You did?"

"Yes." She nodded slowly, looking down at her lap, fidgeting her fingers. She was acting surprisingly shy, "But the train pulled out of the station before I could get on."

"Oh." Another momentary pause rushed in to fill the silence, "Why were you trying to follow me?"

She looked uncertain for a moment, but he could see a resolute determination fill her eyes. Reaching over to the chair next to her, she opened her bag and seemed to delve deeply into it. Yuzuru heard the contents shift against one another as she searched, and he couldn't help but wonder exactly how much stuff she kept in there.

After less than a minute, though, she pulled her hands out. She was holding a small piece of folded paper, tattered and creased. Unfolding it with a level of care usually seen in people handling fine glass antiques, she leaned across the table, extending the paper towards him for his inspection.

Yuzuru raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, and he leaned forwards to take it from her. He straightened the creases out of it with the same degree of care she'd demonstrated, noting the elegant handwriting on it and rotating the paper so it was readable.

_You may be crying, you may be lonely,__  
><em>_But that's perfect - that's what human is.__  
><em>_The tears you shed say,__  
><em>_Thank you for giving life to us - beautiful, honest, and real._

Yuzuru could hardly believe what he was reading. "This… This is…"

Even as he read over it again, he could hear the tune being hummed in his head. The lyrics, the melody; they were a perfect fit, exactly as he remembered them. And then he realised, the melody wasn't actually in his head – the girl was softly humming it again.

Yuzuru looked up. He watched her closely as the melody danced across her lips, her gaze directed out of the window into space, not clearly looking at anything. She was lost in thought.

"My Song…" Yuzuru whispered, inspecting the note one more time in case the words had somehow rearranged themselves.

She blinked a couple of times, returning from whatever distant world she'd been in after a moment or two. Her eyes fell upon him again, filled with curious intent, "I have questions."

"About what?" He folded the piece of paper back up and placed it on the table between them.

She seemed a little uncertain at first, but she eventually managed to put words to her thoughts, "How you knew this song."

All sorts of thoughts flew through Yuzuru's mind in that moment – the truth, a lie, or a denial. To say that he'd heard it in a dream sounded mad, even to his own mind. He couldn't begin to imagine how such a statement would sound to her. But then, it was the truth – the only truth – and no matter how crazy it seemed or how uncertain he was of her reaction, sharing that truth was going to be the only way he'd ever get to the bottom of this. "Oh, well, that's kinda funny…"

But she continued, seemingly distant and at a whisper, "And why you seem so familiar…"

That definitely took Yuzuru aback, "You… recognise me?"

She nodded slowly, "Yes. You remind me of somebody I saw in a dream."

"In a dream…" maybe the idea wouldn't seem so crazy to her after all, unless they were both raving lunatics, "Can you describe it for me?"

As she began to speak familiar visions began to drift up from Yuzuru's memory, taking him back to the vivid "reality" of that strange recurring dream, "I'm standing beside a beautiful waterfall staircase, just before sunset, wrapped up tightly in the arms of the boy I love."

"_Kanade." he pulled her tightly into his arms, holding her as close as he possibly could. She wrapped her own arms around him, returning the embrace, "I love you. Let's stay together forever."_

"I am happy," there was a fathomless sadness in her tone, "but he is very sad. He knows that I'm about to leave…"

"_Let's stay together forever and ever, okay?" he pleaded softly, barely daring to hope that it was even possible_

"_Please don't pass on, Kanade." Yuzuru begged her, desperately, unwilling to let her go._

"I hate to leave, but I have no choice." Half-remembered regrets ran through her mind, "I have to thank him, for everything he's ever done for me. For everything I owe to him."

"_Thank you for loving me." She went on, as if it were the greatest gift in the world. As if nothing in all of existence could have made her happier in that one moment._

"He gave me his heart so that I could go on living. He gave me his love so that I would know my life had been _worth_ living." A soft sigh escaped her lips, and a distant expression worked across her delicate features, "He was everything I had ever needed him to be."

"_Truly and deeply…" she whispered with absolute certitude._

"In a way, we both know I am saying goodbye. It hurts us both," there was a moment of pause in which she fell into contemplation, allowing herself a moment to reign in the sensations she remembered so brightly, "but in the end I am so happy. I am truly at peace with myself in that one moment."

"_Thank you," she closed her eyes for the final time, nothing left but the most earnest gratitude of a deepest wish fulfilled, "For giving my life to me."_

"And then we part."

The finality was palpable, unmistakable.

Silence descended upon them both, like a thick emotional blanket. It took Yuzuru a moment to dispel the lingering sensations that the dream always provoked, and it took all of his willpower to supress his emotions to the point where his mind would function clearly.

Looking across at the girl, she had her eyes closed, her breath deep and calming. He couldn't help but notice the dampness around her eyes, and neither could he escape the solitary tear that fell free to trace its way softly down her cheek.

She was feeling it, as much as he was.

"_I love you Kanade" _his own sorrow-filled voice lingered at the forefront of his memory.

He realised then, with all that was going on inside him, all the conflicting and overwhelming emotions, that he didn't even know this girl's name. She still seemed to be fighting against whatever she was feeling, and when she opened her eyes once more he was sure – if only for the briefest of moments – that he could see the deepest depths of her soul through those glistening golden eyes.

"You name…" he barely managed to speak, sure that the answer in his heart was the truth, but needing to hear it all the same, "What is your name?"

She looked at him in silence, the longest of moments almost stretching into eternity. But that eternity passed, and a moment of epiphany was left in its wake. He was sure, in a way that he couldn't quite understand, that he knew exactly what she was going to say. Hope began to realise within him.

"Tachibana Kanade… Are you…"

"Kanade…" he repeated her name before she'd even finished speaking it. His eyes almost blurred, and his heart began to race in his chest, on the verge of leaving him compromised.

"Yuzuru."

The whole situation seemed incredibly surreal, and he considered the possibility that he was actually dreaming some new, impossible reality. "How did you know?" he wondered aloud, _How did _we _both know?_

Kanade placed a hand over her heart, fist clenched lightly as if trying to hold in her emotions, "It's just a feeling I-"

She was cut off by the loud squeal of the train's brakes fully engaging, pulling them to a stop with an unceremonious jolt. The sound of the doors at either end of the carriage opening was ignored by both of them. They hesitated, neither of them rising at first.

"Well, I've got to go…" Yuzuru reluctantly admitted, reaching to pick up his bag and rising to his feet. She rose too, though he noted silently that she was more than a head shorter than he was. "Will I see you again?"

Kanade pulled the bag of her strap back onto her shoulder, stepping out into the main aisle. Yuzuru fell into step behind her as they made their way to the exit, "Perhaps." She nodded without turning to face him, "There's a lot to think about."

When the pair disembarked from the train she seemed to waver for a moment, looking around at the wider station before them. Yuzuru took the opportunity to step around her, turning so that he could face her directly.

"I'm going that way." He pointed towards the main entrance on the far side of the concourse. He had a near full day of exams to look forward to. Oh, how that thrilled him.

"I need to catch another train." Kanade admitted timidly.

Yuzuru rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Well, then… I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yes." Kanade nodded with an ever so slight smile, "See you."

Mirroring the smile, Yuzuru turned and set off towards the exit. He had to force his way through the influx of people entering the station, but just before he reached the doors he paused and turned, seeing if Kanade was still around. He saw her approaching a train – the same train, he noted with curiosity – and climb aboard without so much as looking back.

He was confused for a moment. The only way that train went after this station was back the way it had come. Did that mean…?

"Wait…" he put words to his thoughts, "Did she catch that train _just_ to talk to me?"

The impatient toot of the train's horn signalled that it was ready to depart. But Yuzuru's thoughts took him elsewhere, manifesting as a barely noticeable smile on his lips, full of warmth and optimism. He realised in that moment, somehow, that he _would _see Kanade again. He didn't know how or why, but he knew inside that it would happen. Very soon.

"Kanade…" her name played almost silently upon his lips, _Angel._

His smile intensified as he left the station.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 2: Tenshi and Train Journeys**


	3. Book 1: Ch 3: Not So Chance Encounters

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 3: Not So Chance Encounters**

Over the remainder of the week Yuzuru didn't encounter Kanade at all. She didn't appear by the station, and she didn't pop up on the train again either. It did sadden him, because he'd been hoping to bump into her again and have a proper conversation with her – there were so many questions he needed to ask that maybe only she knew the answer too. And no doubt she had plenty of questions of her own too.

It was late on Saturday morning when Yuzuru awoke, bright sunlight filtering through the slightly parted blackout curtains, dancing across the floor and bathing the room in a bright luminescent glow. He resisted consciousness at first, rolling over with a groan and turning his back to the light. He winced as another beam caught him dead in the eye, reflected deviously off the glass aperture of a wall-mounted photo frame, as if conspiring solely for the purpose of interrupting his slumber.

Matters weren't helped when Hatsune's voice called inquiringly through the thin material of his bedroom door.

"Are you getting up today, or what? It's after ten already!"

Yuzuru rolled onto his back, letting his eyes fully open and readjust once the sunlight had stopped tormenting him.

"Yuzuru?" his younger sister repeated once she got no answer.

He could just make out her silhouette through the door, and he considered just ignoring her and going back to sleep. That notion was rudely dispelled the instant she made a move to open the door.

"I'm up!" he jumped quickly to his feet, managing to tangle himself in his futon and trip, crashing into his desk with an ungainly yelp of pain. A failed reactive grasp at the side of his desk did little more than leave a bright red mark on his forearm and numb his limb from the wrist up.

Hatsune's laughter came from the other side of the door, "I knew that'd do it. Come on, get your ass out here. Breakfast is on the table."

A curse escaped from under Yuzuru's breath, alluding towards the evils of devious sisters and interrupted sleep.

But here was only silence as the room ignored him.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru trudged miserably into the dining room, dragging his feet and a shuffle and nursing his injured arm piteously, grumbling every step of the way. Even as he dropped to his knees on the vacant side of the table Hatsune ignored his complaints, her attention split entirely between her bowl of cereal and that morning's newspaper. Yuzuru couldn't make out the headline from where he was kneeling, but presumably it was something of interest.

With an over-emphasised sigh of dejection Yuzuru reached for his plate, already filled with what he could only describe as a small mountain of food. Fried eggs, griddled back bacon, grilled pork sausages, lightly fried mushroom, baked haricot beans, sautéed potato slices... Yuzuru could only gawk at the veritable feast placed before him. He was familiar with all of the ingredients, but never in his life had he seen them in such quantity on such a small plate.

_Just how hungry does she think I am?_

As if reaching into his mind and reading his very thoughts, Hatsune folded over her paper and looked straight at her elder brother, "I figured I'd try something new on you." She stated simply, as if it were nothing more than a simple experiment.

Yuzuru looked at the meal like it was toxic, "Do I have to be your guinea pig?"

Hatsune ignored the jibe as she always did, instead reaching forwards and handing her brother a stainless steel knife and fork, "You'll need these."

Yuzuru accepted them from her with added caution, assuming they were the most appropriate weapons of attack. A pair of chopsticks just weren't going to manage this.

"It's called a Full English Breakfast." Hatsune carried on explaining, "Should see you through until lunch."

"From the looks of it, it'll see me through until death." Tentatively, he pressed his fork into the expanse of mushroom, opting to take the cautious route and start with something he knew he could stomach.

"Well, you know. I thought you may need it, today of all days."

Yuzuru raised a questioning eyebrow, eying Hatsune with suspicion, "Why, what's happening today?" he speared a slice of cut-off mushroom and inserted it into his mouth. To his surprise it was quite nicely done. Not raw, but at the same time not cooked to the point of being rubbery either. Hatsune had always had a skill at cooking. Rarely on her first attempt, though… Maybe she'd practiced this dish before?

"I'm glad you brought it up!" his sister beamed creepily from ear to ear, "You're going into town for me."

"I am?" Yuzuru swallowed, opting next to try a slice of sausage.

"Yup." Hatsune picked up the paper again, turning it so Yuzuru could see the article she'd been reading. She began to explain it to him even as he read through it, "The new limited edition Fate figurines are coming out today. I want you to go grab me an Archer and a Saber."

Yuzuru coughed, choking on his sausage. It took him a moment to compose himself, and a moment further before he could breathe properly again, "Are you crazy? The store's been open for hours already. There won't be any left!"

Hatsune rolled her eyes like he was being a moron. He couldn't help but wonder what she knew that he didn't.

"You're an idiot. I bought them weeks ago!" she explained, "Bought and paid for. All _you _have to do is go collect them for me."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Yuzuru assaulted one of the egg yolks with a piece of potato, "Why do _I _have to go? You've been up for hours."

"You were always going to go, Yuzuru." Hatsune pointed out, "I'm sick, remember? And honestly, I was expecting you to be awake hours ago. That dream usually gets you up regular as clockwork."

A moment of epiphany collapsed on top of the orange-haired teen as he realised that he'd actually slept all the way through the night for a change. He couldn't recall having the dream. That was a welcome first.

"So…" he continued talking as he ate, "Where exactly is this shop again?"

-o-O-o-

The sun hung happily in a clear blue sky, forgetting the remarkably changeable weather from earlier in the week and basking the world below in its warm radiance. To Yuzuru, it seemed like whichever god was in charge of the local weather that day had decided that he deserved a pleasant day off school, rather than the typical rain and wind which had punctuated his earlier time off.

By the time he made it into the shopping district he was glad that he'd opted to leave his coat at home, though a very small part of him wished he'd brought it just in case the weather did decide to change. But without even a single cloud in the sky he was able to push that concern to the side with ease.

Yuzuru was pretty much taking the same route into town as he did during the week, but he couldn't help noticing just how different the journey felt on a weekend. There was no rush, no sense of impending stress and exams. He could afford to take it easy, at a more sedate pace. Clearly everybody else who was out and about on their Saturday shopping trip felt the same way. There were more people around than even during the Monday rush hour, but nobody was in a hurry. It was a nice day, and they all wanted to be there for whatever reasons drove them, and that was pleasant enough.

All the while, one familiar intersection fed into another until Yuzuru was almost at the station, large concrete paving slabs giving way to the herringbone white brick of the pedestrian only zone. And that recognizable hummed melody once again caught his attention, as soft and sweet and thoroughly unmistakable as it always had been.

There she was, in the same spot as the first time he'd seen her, lost in a world of her own making. Her small hat hid most of her face from view, but the bright reflection the sun cast upon the wall against which she was leaning framed her like an angelic aura.

"Kanade?"

Instantly the melody faded away, her head lifting to cast her eyes upwards and looking straight into him. A warm, slight smile slowly crossed her lips as recognition dawned, "Yuzuru."

He approached her, returning the welcoming smile with one of his own, "What are you doing here?"

The pale porcelain skin of her cheeks flushed a bright red, somewhat abashed, "I was waiting for you."

"It's not a school day today..." he pointed out, confusion turning his face to a frown, "What if I hadn't come by? You'd have been waiting here all day."

"But you did come." She pointed out, tilting her head slightly and regarding him with curiosity.

Well, he couldn't really argue with that reasoning. After all, there he was.

"I knew you would." She explained further, her smile returning anew.

Yuzuru wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. There wasn't any way she could've known his plans in advance. Maybe she'd just been hoping for the best? A fair gamble, and an easy way to lose the day if it hadn't have paid off.

"Okay…" he opted after a moment or two, "Kanade, do you… have any plans today?"

She shook her head slightly, her delicate white locks swaying like the long grass of a meadow in a gentle summer breeze, "No. No plans."

"I see." He thought for a moment, "I was wondering…" one of his hands rubbed the back of his head nervously, his expression one of sheepish diffidence, "Would you like to come shopping with me? I've got to pick up a couple of things for my sister, and-"

"I'd love to." She interrupted eagerly.

"Oh!" a wide smile began to spread across his face, "Great!"

Yuzuru gestured forwards with his hand, and together they headed off into the shopping district.

-o-O-o-

The shopping district was pretty much the hub of the local town. Although the area had long since been incorporated into the wider metropolitan area – a natural consequence of the seemingly boundless expansion of the city as it absorbed all the surrounding townships – it still managed to retain its independent local businesses, and held fast to its identity as a local hotspot for shopping and general recreation. At times it seemed more like a community than a suburban district.

There was just about any shop you could need, from haberdashery to pharmaceuticals, greengrocers to amusement arcades. Even the handful of large, open-air food courts contained not a single multinational brand, and it was a status quo the locals had always fought hard to hold on to and protect.

Yuzuru had always thought that the district felt like an open-air mall, and it was very easy to lose an entire day there within its streets, especially with good company. But, as Kanade and he made their way down the pedestrianized streets, he knew that wasn't really a bad thing. The smile on his face paid testament to that.

"So where are we going?" Kanade asked unobtrusively, so quiet that Yuzuru almost missed it.

Yuzuru shook himself out of his reverie, taking a moment to get his bearings, "We need the models and collectables shop. They're holding a pair of figurines for my sister."

They'd just wandered by the butcher's shop, Yuzuru noted as he recalled the route Hatsune had described from memory. Next there would be the bakery, then the little newsagents. Followed by an immediate left down a side-street, and the shop he wanted was at the end of the road.

"That way." He pointed.

The street itself was actually quite widely spaced, and all it would need was a few well-placed trees for shade for it to be considered a boulevard. Each end of it terminated in a T-junction, acting as a thoroughfare between two bustling high streets. There were no shop fronts down the road itself, so market stalls had been set up down both sides, wasting not a single bit of space, and giving it a more rustic, old market sort of feel.

This particular street was no quieter than the main ones, and Yuzuru knew its reputation fairly well as a place to find more obscure items such as antiques and all kinds specialist items. If there was something rare or unusual, chances were you'd be able to find it on one of the market stalls.

Many of the proprietors were actively seeking out people to sell their wares to, drawing in anybody who happened to make eye contact. There wasn't anything specific that Yuzuru was looking for himself in that make-shift market, so he did his best to avoid locking eyes with anybody at all.

Kanade, however, had other ideas. She wasn't shopping for anything specific either, but she looked intently at just about every stall they passed as they walked. And it didn't take long for one of the people behind the stalls to pick out the undecided shopper. The elderly lady in what amounted to a tattered old apron carefully rounded her knickknack stall, the pocket sewn onto the front jangling in time with her steps, no doubt crammed full of loose change and petty cash.

"Is there anything in particular you're looking for, little miss?" the old lady opened politely with a warm smile.

Yuzuru supressed a chuckle when he saw Kanade jump, obviously unaware of the woman's approach. Her hand went to her heart as she took in a few calming breaths, composing herself with surprising swiftness.

"No, ma'am." Kanade replied, returning the smile with genuine warmth, "We're just passing through."

Truth be told, she was a little bit put out by the whole idea. She'd brought enough money for her lunch, but she hadn't factored going shopping into her calculations. And if it came down to a choice between buying a memento or eating, eating would definitely come first.

"Oh, come now." The old lady moved up beside Kanade, taking her by the arm and urging her forwards, "I know you want to buy _something_, you just don't know what yet, am I right?"

Kanade was a little taken aback by the woman's forwardness as she was shepherded towards the stall, "No ma'am, I'm just…" she looked back over her shoulder, shooting a pleading "rescue me" gaze at Yuzuru as she was effectively kidnapped.

For his part, Yuzuru simply looked up and whistled innocently, earning a frown in return. He found the whole situation highly amusing.

"Now, take your time and pick out something really nice." The lady instructed, sweeping her arm across her stall to make a point.

As she was deposited in front of the stall, Kanade cast her eyes downwards at the felt-covered tablecloth and the variety of items sat on display upon it.

"There's really nothing I-"

A sudden hand on her shoulder proved to be an interruption. Looking up, she saw that Yuzuru had joined her.

"Go on," he urged, "Pick something. I'll buy it for you."

The offer caught Kanade a bit by surprise, but she turned her attention back to the table. Most of the items on it seemed to be either overpriced or completely worthless, and she really didn't want to go wasting Yuzuru's money on anything, despite his kind offer. There wasn't anything there that she could set her heart on.

Yuzuru must have sensed her uncertainty because he stepped closer to the stall, getting a closer look himself, "Hmmm…" he seemed to ponder, then leaned forwards and picked something up, "How about this?"

Kanade wasn't entirely sure what it was that he'd picked up until he held it out to her. A small necklace dangled from his hand, a thin golden curb chain holding a pendant of small slightly cream off-white angel wings.

"Well, I-"

"Would you like it?" the old lady asked with a hopeful smile.

Kanade hesitated, uncomfortable with letting Yuzuru spend his money on such a frivolous item.

"She'll take it." He addressed the old lady, answering on Kanade's behalf.

Before she could protest further Yuzuru took some notes out of his pocket and handed them to the lady. There was scant little change handed back to him, and it made a slight pang of guilt rise up in Kanade's gut.

"You didn't have to do that." She spoke softly.

"Nonsense." Yuzuru dismissed her concerns, taking the necklace in both hands and unclipping the latch, "Let's see what it looks like on, shall we?"

He held it out towards her expectantly, so she stepped closer, bowing her head slightly so he could get the curb chain around her neck. He didn't notice, but the proximity caused a pale blush to warm her cheeks. She was unaccustomed to people being so openly forwards, especially with such an intimate gesture as this. It felt almost as if he were hugging her, and she had to force herself to resist embracing him. But then again, he didn't really feel like a stranger. He felt like somebody she'd known for a long, long time. So, why was she blushing?

There was a brief click as the latch caught, closing the necklace around her collar.

"There we go." She heard the smile in Yuzuru's voice even before she straightened up again and saw it on his lips. She took a moment to remove the necklace she'd had on previously, wrapping it up carefully and slipping it into her bag.

"Well?" Yuzuru asked, "What do you think?"

Kanade looked down, lightly fingering the outline of the angel wings delicately. It was a lovely gift, and she appreciated it.

"It looks very nice on you young lady." The elderly stall patron offered with an earnest smile, "I hope it brings you all the luck it brought me."

Kanade regarded the woman for a moment, a question almost forming in her mind. But she let it go, and bowed her head slightly instead, "Thank you."

Yuzuru's hand was once again at her shoulder, pulling her gently away from the stall.

"Come on," he urged softly, "Let's go."

Kanade simply nodded, thanking the woman once more as she turned to leave. All the way to the collectables shop she was in a world of her own, lost completely in thought. The angel wings were a beautiful gift. And for some reason, they felt awfully familiar.

She shook off the sensation as Yuzuru stepped out in front, taking the lead. For some reason Kanade's attention was drawn to his hand as he walked. And she wondered what it would be like to hold it.

-o-O-o-

By the time Yuzuru and Kanade had fought their way into the packed out little shop, beaten back the queues, and actually collected the items Hatsune had reserved, almost an hour had passed by. The place was heaving with shoppers – presumably otaku desperate to get their hands on the very self-same figurines – and they made for a very disorderly rabble.

When at last they exited the stuffy little shop, Yuzuru was glad of the fresh air. He wasn't a big fan of large crowds in small spaces, but this was one of those instances where he was willing to grin and bear it.

Kanade seemed as relieved as he was when the door finally clicked shut behind them. It was still warm and sunny outside, but there was a pleasant breeze which kept the air fresh and tolerable.

"Remind me to never go in there again." Yuzuru joked with a chuckle, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of a sleeve,"So, where now?"

Kanade was cut off by the sound of her stomach rumbling in protest at being ignored for so long.

Yuzuru couldn't stifle his laughter, "I guess that means lunch."

Kanade blushed slightly, but didn't argue. She was as hungry as her stomach sounded, and she knew just the place to go.

"Where would you like to go?" Yuzuru asked.

"This way." She grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him down the street.

Yuzuru was so taken aback by her sudden and unexpected assertiveness that he forgot to tell his legs to move for a moment, almost falling forwards. But he soon got the idea, keeping pace and letting her lead the way.

It didn't take them more than a couple of minutes to make it as far as the nearest open-air food court, set up in one of the open courtyards where numerous side-streets intersected. There was room for a couple of dozen tables, serviced by a single café cum restaurant, and the place was abuzz with families and couples enjoying a pleasant midday meal in the nice weather.

No sooner had they stepped into the courtyard than a waiter came over, greeting them with a warm smile.

"Welcome!" he enthused merrily, "Table for two?"

"Yes please." Kanade nodded.

"Please, follow me."

The waiter led them both to a rather small table set into one of the quieter corners of the seating area, pulling out one of the chairs for Kanade as Yuzuru took the seat opposite.

"We have three different specials to choose from today," the waiter began to explain once the pair were settled, handing each of them a menu which he'd stowed under his arm, "But if you don't want any of those, our chef will have no problem preparing anything else you may want."

Yuzuru quickly perused the extensive list of starters and main courses, unsure of exactly what he wanted, "Could we have a couple of minutes to decide what we'd-"

"Mápó dòufu." Kanade interrupted briskly and without warning.

"Mápó," the waiter jotted down on a little pad, "dòufu…" he then looked over to Yuzuru, "And for the good Sir?"

"Erm… Yeah." He considered for a moment with a nervous grin, "I'll have what she's having."

"Very good." He snatched back the menus, making a rapid beeline for the café entrance.

"He didn't even ask what we wanted to drink…" Yuzuru frowned, licking his lips. After all the walking around his throat was starting to get rather dry, and he felt a little bit rueful at the missed opportunity to quench his thirst. Still, he could always ask the man for a drink when he came back with their meal.

"Have you ever had Mápó dòufu before?" Kanade's inquiry interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, erm, no…" he considered for a moment. He'd seen it on the menu in the cafeteria at med school, but he'd never indulged. In fact, to the best of his memory, he couldn't recall ever seeing anybody there eating it… "Not exactly. But I've heard it's delicious!"

"It is."

A moment of silence fell between them, leaving Yuzuru feeling a little bit uncomfortable and out of place. He never seemed to know how to break these silences without seeming awkward. But then a question came into his mind, and he couldn't resist asking. Looking across the table, he saw that Kanade was looking down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs in discomfort. She must've felt as awkward with the pervasive silence as he did.

"Hey, Kanade?" he opened tentatively to avoid startling her.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright and enquiring, "Yes?"

"You remember when you said you felt like we'd met before?" Yuzuru paused briefly, then clarified, "Like I was familiar?"

Kanade nodded slowly, "Yes, on the train."

"That's right." Yuzuru was relieved she knew what he was talking about, "It's because of that dream, isn't it."

She seemed to really absorb the question before she opted to reply, as if she were running through many different memories to try and pin down the moments she recalled him from, "I think so." She agreed with him, a light blush on her cheeks. It felt very much like she was admitting to some deep embarrassment. It made her feel strangely embarrassed yet relieved at the same time, like a weight off her chest, "You're very much the same as the boy I loved from that dream."

"And that's how you figured out my name…" Yuzuru continued down the same line of reasoning.

Her reply was short and simple, "Yes."

"I.. I meant to tell you…" Yuzuru fumbled uncertainly for the right words, "I've had that very same dream."

Now it was his turn to feel embarrassed. Telling somebody that you'd had the exact same dream as them seemed completely absurd, in spite of the fact he _knew _it was the truth. There was no mistaking it, not after she'd described it so thoroughly to him when they'd shared the journey on the train. Without absolutely any prompting she'd managed to describe every facet of a scenario which had, until that point, been the supposed sole purview of his subconscious mind.

That theory had been blown decisively out of the water, and it was far too convenient for it to be a mere coincidence that they had shared the dream.

"I thought as much." Kanade admitted.

That took Yuzuru aback, catching him entirely by surprise, "You mean you knew?"

Kanade shook her head, "No." she elaborated, "But I suspected when you knew my name that you'd had a similar experience."

Yuzuru raised an inquiring eyebrow, "And you didn't think to ask?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to pry." Her gaze returned to her still twiddling thumbs.

Yuzuru regarded her with some amusement in that moment, amazed that her sense of etiquette and good manners had kept her curiosity in check. He knew for a fact that it wasn't managing to reign his own inquisitiveness in, or they wouldn't have been having this conversation in the first place.

The expression of innocent bashfulness that seemed to accompany her disclosure of the fact was thoroughly endearing.

_This clumsy angel… _he found himself smiling, looking at the winged pendant around her neck. It suited her perfectly, for reasons he couldn't quite nail down and identify. There was certainly something angelic about her innocence, and a naïve tint to it as well, which seemed conflictingly refreshing yet familiar. Like he'd experienced it before.

"Kanade, if there's ever anything you want to ask me, you know you can, right?" he tried to reassure her, pleased when she looked back up to meet his eyes, "I mean, we've been having the exact same dream. I've had it for as long as I can remember…"

"Me too." She interjected.

"Right," he nodded, "So you must have as many questions about it as I do."

"I have many questions." She admitted, a tinge of eagerness creeping into her tone.

"Well…" Yuzuru reclined in his chair, trying to project an air of relaxed assurance, "Never be afraid to ask them."

"Thank you, Yuzuru." She fell back once again on her quiet sincerity.

"No problem. I-"

"Mápó dòufu for two!" their waiter interrupted, seemingly springing up from nowhere with two meal servings in hand. It took Yuzuru all of his effort to avoid flinching, and he noticed the fleeting smirk which crossed Kanade's lips as she witnessed his reaction. He couldn't begrudge her that much, and he felt his own smile settle across his features as the humour of the situation found him too.

Before the man had fully settled the bowls down before them Kanade had her chopsticks in her hands. She was obviously looking forwards to this, Yuzuru noted, as she licked her lips in anticipation. The combination of spices and flavours assaulted his sense of smell, making his own mouth water in anticipation. He didn't know if it was because he was hungry, or because this particular example of mápó dòufu was especially well prepared.

By the time he'd finished that thought he noticed that Kanade was already beginning to tuck into her meal, the waiter watching from beside their table.

"Is it to your liking?" he asked them both.

Yuzuru realised that he'd best take a bite himself before answering that question. Taking care to not drip sauce everywhere, he picked up a chunk of pork between his chopsticks and raised it to his mouth.

He could taste the vivid flavours an instant before it reached his tongue, and for the briefest of moments he realised that it was actually very well prepared.

Then the heat of the spices hit him.

"Holy dòufu!"

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 3: Not So Chance Encounters**


	4. Book 1: Ch 4: Fingertips and Revelations

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 4: Fingertips and Revelations**

It took Yuzuru's tongue almost an hour to cool back down to a more survivable level after his failed attempt at tackling a full plate of mápó dòufu. For the first few minutes he'd seriously considered amputation as a viable solution to his burning tongue and mouth. Whether that particular form of amputation would entail cutting out his own tongue, or opting for a simple, clean-cut decapitation was another matter entirely.

It took Kanade the best part of the same hour to recover from the growing ache in her ribs. It wasn't often she laughed like that – it wasn't often that the opportunity presented itself – but Yuzuru's reaction had been truly comical. Even the waiter, professional as he was, had struggled to reign in his smirk of amusement at Yuzuru's animated corollary.

After that, he must have just about consumed his own bodyweight in water. Kanade had tried pointing out that water would only make matters worse, carrying the spicy oils further down his gullet and turning a potential decapitation into a definite disembowelling. Milk, as she had pointed out more than once already, would do the trick far more effectively. But Yuzuru wouldn't be told – and he'd near-drowned himself more than once as he desperately sought sanctuary at the bottom of a large water pitcher.

Salvation still seemed to be a long way off.

"Can you feel your tongue yet?" Kanade asked with a supressed chuckle as they slowly meandered around the pedestrianized zone, Yuzuru still occasionally supping at a half-empty bottle of water.

It took him a good moment of concentration just to flex the stressed muscle in his mouth, and to make sure it hadn't burned to a solid crisp under the spice-laden onslaught, "Sort of," he admitted ruefully, "I wasn't expecting it to be quite _that _bad."

A hand went to Kanade's lips to hide the nigh irresistible smirk that was fighting its way to the forefront, "It's really not something for beginners." She teased.

"I wouldn't force that monstrosity down the neck of my worst arch-nemesis, let alone recommend it to somebody I like!" Yuzuru emphasised his point by flipping the cap off his bottle and downing another good mouthful of water, "You must have a mouth lined with lead to not feel _that _level of burn."

"It's never affected me like that," she admitted earnestly, not sure whether she should feel pride or embarrassment at the fact, "I just think it's got a nice kick to it,"

"It would've burned less if I'd swallowed ignited napalm. Don't ever let me do that again."

Kanade finally let the chuckle escape from her lips unbidden, and even Yuzuru had to admit that he saw the funny side, his pain and suffering notwithstanding. Kanade's light-hearted laugh was like a soft welcome melody to his ears and his heart, and for a moment he knew that just about any pain would be a tolerable torture if it meant he got to hear that sound again.

"Anyway," Yuzuru broke softly into the silence that had descended between them as Kanade's laugh faded. He stepped out about a half pace ahead of the shorter girl, turning to face her and walking backwards with apparent ease, "now that I've got _some _use of my mouth back, let's pick up where we left off before that atomic meal."

She looked up at him in question, trying to think back, "What were we talking about?"

"Questions, unasked." He said simply.

Kanade nodded slowly as her memory was spurred. She did have questions for him, ones she'd held for quite some time now. Honestly, though, she'd never imagined that there would be somebody in a position to actually answer them. But now, walking here with Yuzuru and his eager conversation, there was a definite chance – however small that may truly be – that he could give her the answers she sought. Or, failing that, perhaps they'd be able to draw some conclusions together.

He seemed to almost pluck the very thought from her mind as he read the expressions crossing her face, when he urged softly, "Just ask. I'll do my best to answer."

"Well, it's just…" there was slight hesitation in her voice, but it didn't seem to be due to any bashfulness on her part. It had more to do with articulating the question itself, so Yuzuru opted to remain silent and give her the chance to think it through. He didn't want to place any undue pressure on her. When the firm resolve returned to her eyes, along with the sparkle of other emotions, he knew she'd worked out just what she wanted to ask, "Does it feel more like a memory than a dream to you?"

Yuzuru rubbed his chin in thought, "You mean-"

"How vivid it is." Kanade completed for him so he wouldn't have to guess.

Yuzuru couldn't help but nod. It was a thought that had occurred to him many times in the past, and a consideration which would often drive him to distraction, Falling back into pace beside her, he scratched the back of his head and gave off a thoughtful hum, "What do _you_ think that means?"

"I don't know exactly," Kanade admitted, sighing slightly, her gaze dropping down to her feet, "Maybe it _is_ more than a dream. Maybe we're actually remembering something?"

"Like what?"

"A past life?" It was all that she could suggest.

Yuzuru's frown spoke volumes, clearly sceptical as he was "A past life…"

"Is that any more ridiculous than a shared dream?" there was a slightly defensive colour in her tone. Yuzuru hadn't meant to offend her – it was the very last thing he ever wanted to do – so he acquiesced and took up the point himself.

"I guess not. I've just never really thought about it like that before." He'd never really been one for superstitions regarding an after-life and reincarnation, but then again who was he to deny any theory in all of this? There had to be a reason why they were both seeing the exact same thing. Their dream was _identical_, so there had to be some sort of singular origin to it – something that would mesh with the harder-to-explain _supernatural_ aspects of the dream. Clearly somehow, somewhere, they had both known one-other. More to the point, they had been in _love_. It was the strongest of emotions, and Yuzuru had to admit honestly to himself that much of that sensation still lingered when he beheld Kanade. It was very, very difficult to shake, "Whatever it is, I wonder what it means?"

"I don't know exactly. Not without proof."

A contemplative silence descended on the pair as they continued walking down the street. They didn't have a particular destination in mind, and walking for walking's sake alone could be a very good way to clear and focus the mind. And there was certainly plenty for them to focus on – more than Yuzuru had initially suspected, as it was turning out. It seemed every time he explored the subject of the dream he came away with more that needed to be answered rather than any conclusions or revelations.

The silence that lingered seemed to press the topic into temporary hiatus. Perhaps the answer as to _why _they shared the dream would always be out of reach, and the questions that he really needed to be exploring with Kanade should have more to do with _what_; what it meant for them in the here and now; what it meant for the connection they both clearly felt between one-another; what it meant for the future.

Yuzuru felt, in spite of it all, like he'd known Kanade for far longer than the short week which had now stretched out behind them. Looking down on her beside him as she wandered through her own little world of thoughts, there was something there which continued to strike him as awfully familiar – not just in the way she looked (he knew beyond all doubt that she _was_ the girl from – _of_ – his dreams), but in the emotions that were stirred up just by being in her presence, there was a growing sensation of happiness; a latent contentment which rose up from deep within.

_Kanade…_ a part of him - the lonely part which had always mourned the end of that tormenting dream – reached out for her still; that part of his soul which had instantly recognised her for who she _really _was when her softly hummed rendition of My Song had graced his ears; the part of his being which had always and would always continue to deny his attempts at applying logic and rationalising the vivid dream they both shared.

When she felt his eyes upon her, Kanade looked up at him from beneath her hat. Her smile, though small, imbued a soul-permeating warmth into Yuzuru, which spread unrestrained through every fibre of his being. That smile was framed perfectly by the softly swaying throngs of her flowing silver-white hair, their rhythm keeping pace as they walked.

The feelings within Yuzuru manifested themselves on his cheeks as a blush, and he couldn't help but look away.

It was only when he felt the delicate warmth of a small, subtle hand take hold of his own that he dared to look back. The blush didn't leave his cheeks, though he noticed that Kanade was no longer looking up at him, her face once again obscured beneath the lip of her hat. But there was just something about the way that she was carrying herself which told him that in spite of the boldness the gesture she'd just initiated between them, she was blushing too.

"I hope you don't mind." Her voice wavered, conversely soft yet unyielding in tone. She wasn't posing it as a question – a refusal wasn't something she'd seriously considered from him - but good manners were generally her way.

Yuzuru reassured her by letting his fingers entwine carefully with her own, affirming his approval in the most affectionately tactile way available to him.

He didn't mind in the slightest.

-o-O-o-

It was an unwritten rule that a gentleman should walk a lady home. Some would even consider it a universal _truth_ in its own right. There would no doubt be some in the world who would consider such a gesture out-dated, antiquated, or perhaps even an affront to equal rights.

All of those people be damned.

As the day drew steadily to a close, the deepening oranges of the sky slowly yielding to deep and vibrant reds as twilight began to make itself known, a sedate meandering gait ensnared Yuzuru and Kanade as they made their way back towards the suburban sprawl. Still comfortably hand-in-hand, Yuzuru really couldn't have given a damn about the misapprehensions or misgivings of others.

It wasn't just his duty to walk Kanade home – having effectively hijacked her day, even if she had been hoping to run into him anyway – but rather it was his privilege to do so. And he was going to relish and delight in every moment of it that he could.

There was so much joy in that simple little gesture, so much unspoken expression. It was difficult to find any fault with it whatsoever.

And it seemed to set the two of them fully at ease. As they walked, as they talked, Yuzuru's confidence seemed to soar, and Kanade's usual reserved bashfulness seemed to fade away entirely, a mere façade to be discarded so long as he held her hand.

"Did you ever see anybody else besides me in the dream?" Yuzuru queried, drawing on his own memory of events, the subtle variations and differences he'd encountered over the years he'd been haunted. It seemed that _dream_ would always be their euphemism of choice, even though they were both beginning to accept it as something far more significant, far more _real_.

There were a few moments in which Kanade seemed to do nothing more than draw one or two deep breaths, "I remember a few faces, a sense of people and emotions." She admitted, "But nothing as vivid as our moments together."

Yuzuru nodded knowingly, "I thought so. A few names come to mind, and only one face besides your own. _My Song _spurred it on," he thought back to the fleeting memory, "when I heard you humming it, and even then I think it was only because you were there."

He felt her fingers clasp more tightly around his own. He met her gaze, filled with warm affection, "Describe the person to me." She urged him. Kanade couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance it would help her remember a little bit more.

He nodded in reply, letting the thought settle in his mind's eye, "Let's see." Yuzuru's gaze rose up to the darkening-crimson glow of the near-cloudless sky above them, "I remember red hair, about shoulder-length. A black hairband holding it in check, and-"

"-And eyes the colour of emeralds?" Kanade finished the thought for him, the strangely familiar face taking form in her own memory as well. A name rose up from the deepest recesses to join it, conjuring up a much more vivid imagining this time, "Yuri."

Yuzuru's eyes widened in surprise, "You remember her name?"

Kanade nodded thoughtfully, "That's about all I remember about her." She paused, and then added as an afterthought, "I doubt that helps much."

"No, no." Yuzuru smiled reassuringly down at her, the copper of his gaze radiating warmth, "It helps a lot. I remember the name. I remember the face. I didn't really make the connection between the two before now."

"Oh…" As his smile became infectious, Yuzuru couldn't help but admire the way it lit up her eyes before it even managed to manifest itself on her lips, "Do you remember anything else?"

Yuzuru lost yet another moment to probing thought as he tried to recall anything else that could possibly prove pertinent. He was so immersed in his contemplations that Kanade caught him completely off-balance when she steered him down a smaller side-street. The smallest of chuckles escaped her as she waited for his feet to catch up with the new perpendicular direction his upper-body had taken. His riposte was a rather sheepish grin, fuelled by the mild embarrassment that inevitably accompanied a mistake made whilst deep in thought.

"Guess I should watch where I'm walking…" he put voice to his thoughts, "Anyway, there's not much I can remember besides what you've already mentioned. It does make you wonder, though."

That did pique Kanade's interests, "Wonder what?"

"If there's somebody out there called Yuri," Yuzuru elaborated, "if she remembers any of this herself. I mean, I always thought _you _were just a dream until we met. You must've thought the same about me."

"No," Kanade came to an inexplicable stop in the middle of the pavement, her hand in turn pulling Yuzuru to a stop barely half a pace ahead of her. The pair of them were standing before a waist-high garden gate. Kanade turned to face him, her serious yet gentle gaze drawing in and captivating his own. He was taken aback further still when she reached up with her free hand and delicately cupped his cheek, her fingertips subtle and graceful as they ran across his skin, conveying so much fond affection that it made her very heart ache, "I always knew you were real."

There were no words Yuzuru knew which could overcome his dumbfounded silence. So, when Kanade seized the initiative yet again, and rose up on her tiptoes to place the most delicate of chaste kisses on his cheek, his breath caught in his throat and all recourse was closed to his recoiling mind.

Without so much as a word she returned to the ground, a knowing smile of soul-warming satisfaction illuminating her features. There was a moment when their eyes simply connected, and they both managed to convey far more in that simple gesture than mere verbosity could ever have hoped to achieve.

She released his hand, and then finally removed her welcome fingertips from his jawline, a lingering tantalisation within him already mourning the loss.

"Goodnight, Yuzuru."

He could only watch as she turned to open the gate, entered the garden, and made her way into the house. Yuzuru hadn't even realised they'd made it to their destination. It took him precious moments more before his mind snapped back into gear and he registered exactly what had just happened.

He realised also that he hadn't actually said goodnight to _her_. But then, he wondered if it had even been necessary?

His thoughts returned to the recent memory, his hand rising to run careful fingers across the cheek Kanade had kissed, as if trying to ensure that it hadn't all been just another figment of his imagination. Was this all nothing more than a dream that he was just waiting to wake up from, once again lost in a cold and terrified sweat?

But he _didn't_ wake up. It _had_ been real. It _had_ actually happened.

Yuzuru's attention was briefly focussed on the visible doorway into the house – his mind still couldn't find the words to express everything his was feeling. But his lips found one that could suffice.

"Wow."

-o-O-o-

Kanade had seen the whole thing from the living room window of her house, hidden from view by a carefully drawn and positioned curtain. She smiled with a sense of self-satisfaction, partially amazed at herself for plucking up the courage to do what she'd just done. It wasn't something she'd normally have the tenacity to try, but with Yuzuru… He was different.

In spite of the impossibilities their dream revealed; in spite of the common sense her level-headed, logically grounded mind kept trying to input into the situation; despite everything unfathomable and inscrutable about _everything _that was currently happening, her heart, her soul, and every fibre of her very being cried out in inexorable joy at just how _right_ these feelings were.

The boy standing in awestruck silence on the pavement outside her home was _the_ Yuzuru – _her _Yuzuru – from her dreams. He was the focal point of a long-growing feeling of love that Kanade full-well believed predated her very existence, perhaps even defined it.

The thought thrilled her, leaving both her heart and the pit of her stomach fluttering.

She watched an unwitting and oblivious Yuzuru as he turned and moved to leave. She didn't even allow herself to blink until he'd rounded the corner and moved out of sight, his final departure punctuated with a deep sigh she didn't realise she'd been holding in.

It was saddening to see him go. But the joys of a memorable day spent together overwhelmed the sensation readily enough. So, with a smile, she let the curtain fall once more across the window, blotting out the outside world until the morning.

Turning her back on the day, Kanade headed to bed.

-o-O-o-

With the last of his exams finally over and the end of the semester drawing inescapably closer, Yuzuru had precious little reason to make the daily journey to the station. Well, perhaps he did have one _very_ precious reason, all in all.

Kanade.

Over the next fortnight, in spite of having no reason to do so, Yuzuru made the morning commute as far as the mass-transit terminus. And, each morning without fail, Kanade had been there in the spot where they'd originally met one another – or perhaps rediscovered each other was a more accurate way of putting it? Yuzuru felt as if he'd somehow known Kanade all of his life.

For the most part the pleasant weather had firmly entrenched itself into the season and showed little sign of letting up, and the pair had whiled away their time together simply roaming the town, maybe once or twice with a destination in mind depending on whether or not there was an errand to be run. But, for the most part, they simply walked, stopping only to eat and for respite. Conversation had flowed comfortably and easily between the duo, and it had only worked to cement the underlying sense of familiarity they had shared from the very beginning.

Getting to hold Kanade's hand all the while was something Yuzuru counted amongst one of the many blessings of sharing his days with her. The gentle, tender peck on the cheek which drew a line under each day and marked their parting of ways was something he counted as a miraculous gift, and something he hoped very much to get used to.

Not once had he managed to pluck up the courage to actually kiss her in return. It felt far too much like pushing his luck. Odd that of the two of them, he should be the one too shy to make the gesture.

Getting up early, leaving the house and meeting Kanade for breakfast at the start of another day together, though, was more than enough for him. For the time being.

It was on the third Sunday of their daily jaunts when Hatsune finally picked him up on it.

He was rarely ever up before her, all the way through school, college and now into med school, and the change in his habits hadn't gone unnoticed. Only special occasions seemed to draw him out, and that had been his pattern of behaviour for as long as she was able to remember. And this change, unprecedented as it was, certainly left her intrigued.

Every day, up not long after dawn. Every day, out of the house by eight o'clock. And every day, back just after the sun had set. After the first week Hatsune had begun to worry, so drastic was the change in her brother, and so obscure and noncommittal were his answers to her inquiries about his day, naturally her mind began to think the worst.

What was he hiding? Was he up to something illicit, something illegal? Or maybe it was something dangerous? Was he not telling simply because he didn't want to worry her?

But then, as she'd watched him more closely, she'd noticed something else on top of it all – he was so damned _happy._ Something about him was changing. He hadn't complained about losing sleep to that dream in close to a month now, and she found herself wondering if he'd finally found a way to avoid it.

And the more Hatsune thought about it, the more and more she was drawn towards a singular conclusion.

So, on the morning of the third Sunday, she made sure to be up early and in a position to intercept her brother before he could leave the house.

Yuzuru was completely oblivious to her presence as he reached to open the door. So much so that, when Hatsune began to speak just as his hand reached the door handle, he visibly flinched.

"So when are you going to bring her home to meet me?"

He turned around slowly to face Hatsune, noting the casual way she was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and a slight smirk plastered on her face. She was looking very, very smug.

"Who?" he feigned ignorance.

Hatsune wasn't falling for it, not in the slightest. There was something in his eye which just screamed out that he was putting on this show, "This girl you're seeing every day." She pressed, letting him know just how much she'd figured out.

The blush which deepened across Yuzuru's cheeks told her that she'd hit the nail squarely on the head with that one. A mixture of self-satisfaction and relief that nothing _bad _was going on were the first emotions to rise within here. Moments later, that turned to an amplified smugness that just couldn't keep itself from her expression.

Yuzuru couldn't hide the blush, but still he kept up the pretence, "What makes you think it's a girl?"

It was hard work for Hatsune to contain a chuckle, "You'd never get up early just to see Igarashi." _And I doubt you'd be blushing quite so much, either… _she added as a mental afterthought.

Watching her brother closely for his reaction she again felt gratification when he seemed to deflate slightly, closing his eyes and giving off a sigh.

"Alright, alright…" he held up his hands in mock surrender, a moment of irritation at having been so easily bested reinforcing his already vivid blush, "I'll bring her to meet you at some point. Just," when he looked up there was something not too removed from concern visible in his demeanour, "don't stress about it, okay!"

"I won't." she promised, eager now to meet this girl. Whoever it was that could drag her brother out of bed so early without the added bonus of his usual grumpiness definitely deserved her congratulations, "I know it'll just aggravate my condition."

"Good." Yuzuru nodded, turning back to the door, "I'll be back late again." He waved a goodbye without looking back.

Hatsune watched the door close behind him with a smile. It was nice to see Yuzuru happy.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru sighed as he made his way along the familiar route to the station - or rather, towards the spot where Kanade was usually waiting for him just before the entrance into the concourse – his mind heavy with thoughts of the conversation he and Hatsune had just shared.

He knew he hadn't exactly been discreet about his early-morning departures, and he wasn't at all surprised by how much his younger sister had picked up on it. What worried him, or rather the part that amused him, was that she'd figured out that he was visiting some girl. Was he really that easy to read?

_Has my behaviour really changed that much? _ He couldn't help but wonder as he shuffled along the footpath. He knew he felt a lot happier with Kanade in his life, and the conversations and revelations they shared together were something he held dear to his heart. She really was the girl from his dreams, just as he was the boy from hers, and this renewed connection was something they had both taken full advantage of.

_Carpe diem. _And put the past behind you.

The golden-eyed young woman had come to mean a lot to him over the weeks that now stretched out behind them, just as she had always meant so very much to him in his dreams prior to that. Yuzuru wasn't really one for believing in fate or miracles, but there was a tantalising temptation to describe his meeting Kanade as precisely that; a miracle of fate.

That thought alone was enough to draw a warm smile from deep inside his heart.

As he rounded the corner onto the familiar stretch of street which led up to the station he felt his heart lift and his spirits rise considerably.

That all came crashing down around him when he reached their usual meeting spot and found it empty, and the sensations manifested themselves on his face as a frown. It was wholly unlike her to be late – though he'd tried once or twice, he had never managed to get there first over the previous weeks.

Perhaps something had simply held her up?

Turning his back to the wall and leaning casually against it, Yuzuru decided that it would be best to wait. He couldn't help but look up at the blue sky, and close his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun. When the intensity seemed to fade he opened them again, and a small silvery cloud had somehow managed to work its way across the sun, leaving Yuzuru and the surrounding area shaded and cool.

It would soon pass.

But he couldn't ignore the distinct shiver which ran all the way up his spine.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 4: Fingertips and Revelations**


	5. Book 1: Ch 5: Matters of the Heart

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 5: Matters of the Heart**

Less than half an hour after first arriving at the station Yuzuru was on the verge of panic. It seemed irrational, he knew, even as he walked briskly along the most direct route he could between Kanade's house and the station, presumably the one same she would use each morning. What could possibly have happened along the way - in broad daylight no less - that would prevent her from making it to their morning rendezvous?

That thought alone showed the direction Yuzuru's thoughts were taking.

It made absolutely no sense to panic. But with his heart beating up in his throat and his pulse throbbing like a bass drum in his ears, he couldn't quite bring himself to stop. And the dire amalgamation of emotions only intensified the further he found himself from the station without managing to find Kanade.

_It's going to be something simple… _the last few rational neurons in his mind urged quietly, and rather unconvincingly at that, _She's just running late._

_Without phoning to tell me? _The less rational part argued back with a sneer, unwilling to let go of the panic, _What if she's in trouble? What if she needs me?_

_What if you're panicking over nothing and you creep her out?_

"Shut up!" Yuzuru smacked the side of his temple in forceful agitation, punctuating it with a groan as the obvious pain kicked in.

It was taking all of his efforts just to hold himself back from breaking into an all-out run, and the self-inflicted pain to his head was a thoroughly needless distraction. Yuzuru decided to just put it to the back of his mind and concentrate on what he was doing. It was a desperate battle to keep his emotional inner self and his rational, problem-solving mind fully reconciled – not an easy task when the emotional facet of that was running so high, and the rational part was telling him things he just didn't want to hear.

So detached was his rationality from his actions that he didn't immediately notice his surroundings when he turned the corner onto the street that sited Kanade's home. It was only when his feet came to a stop that his awareness finally caught up, having trailed him by precious moments all the way from the station to that spot.

If he hadn't bumped into Kanade along the way, then that meant she had to still be at home… Right?

It took a surprising amount of willpower for Yuzuru to drive his body into motion, an apprehensively shaking hand unlatching the gate to grant him ingress into the garden, a simple, straight path of irregularly-shaped concrete-coloured slabs lain at regular intervals marking the way across the neatly manicured front lawn. He'd escorted Kanade as far as her house at the end of every single day they'd spent together, saying their farewells in the street and then going their separate ways. Yuzuru had always kept a close watch as she entered the house, but he'd never ventured into the garden or all the way up to the door of the property.

That was, until now.

Every step he placed upon successive slabs was punctuated with an ever-increasing sense of anxiousness – not so much at trespassing across the lawn, but as to what he would encounter when he actually reached the house. What if Kanade _wasn't _there? What if something bad _had_ happened between here and the station? What if? _What if?_

_No. _he mentally scolded himself for thinking the worst, _Focus. Worry about actuality, not "what if?"_

As he approached the door, taking the couple of small steps up onto the raised porch in stride, Yuzuru allowed himself a moment to reaffirm what little composure he felt he was able to muster. It was difficult to remain in control of all the emotions currently assaulting his sensibilities, but somehow he managed, urgently knocking on the wooden framework of the door as firmly as he dared without hurting his knuckles.

The silence which followed seemed almost to stretch on into an eternity. That was, until he heard the soft padding of bare feet on wood approaching the door, a silhouette soon visible on the other side. Yuzuru took a half step backwards when the door began to slide, hoping to seem far less imposing than his desperation made him feel, and his heart fluttered nervously as a seemingly familiar face came into view as the door slid to the side.

No, that wasn't quite right. There were similarities in the face of the person before him, but this face was subtly different. The hair was long and silver-white, tied back and held high by a butterfly-decorated clip, though still cascading down beyond shoulder length; the eyes were a startlingly deep and vibrant gold, though there was an age there within them that Kanade's eyes lacked – something akin to jaded experience, of sorts. And, when she spoke, the voice was fractionally deeper than Kanade's ever had been.

"Hello, can I help you?" she looked Yuzuru up and down in question, holding the door only half-open, leaning around it defensively as if it were a protective shield.

"Sorry to intrude, Ma'am." Yuzuru bowed slightly, trying to belay her obvious and understandable concerns regarding his presence, "Is Kanade in?"

The woman's right eyebrow raised in intrigue, striking an almost comical expression for a moment, before the door slid open a little further – though she still obstructed the entrance, "And you are?"

"Yuzuru." He explained, "Yuzuru Otonashi."

There was a moment when both of her eyes went wide, clearly surprised, and Yuzuru began to wonder if they would pop out of her head, "Otonashi?"

His response was a slow yet simple nod. The change in the woman's demeanour was extreme and near instantaneous; the door was forcibly shoved fully ajar and she stepped to the side, gesturing with one hand further into the house, "Please, come in. Kanade's told me _all_ about you."

With a slightly nervous gulp and a still burgeoning feeling of foreboding, Yuzuru entered, stepping past the lady and on into the small foyer beyond. He heard her close the door behind him as he removed his shoes, placing them tidily off to one side.

"Sorry for my rudeness before." Came her apologetic tone as she walked around him and back into view, "I'm Kasumi Tachibana, Kanade's mother."

To be honest, Yuzuru had expected as much. The resemblance between Kanade and her mother was truly striking, from the intensity of those deep golden eyes to the pale, delicate porcelain tone of her skin. Even the hair - though apparently longer than Kanade's own - held the same shimmering platinum vibrance as it framed her face and her slight yet warm smile. All in all, she could quite easily have been taken for Kanade's older sister, but there was just something about her which seemed to radiate a sort of mellow maturity.

Yuzuru didn't think of himself as the best when it came to judging a person's age, but if he had to guess he wouldn't have thought she was more than twenty years older than Kanade - maybe twenty five, at a push. It was a reasonable enough age gap for somebody who claimed to be her mother, though if he hadn't already been told _who _she was he knew that mother wouldn't have been his first conclusion.

Yuzuru bowed respectfully towards her nonetheless, "I'm sorry to intrude like this. I was hoping Kanade was here… She didn't turn up at the station, and naturally I-"

"Worried?" She interjected, her smile broadening yet at the same time losing none of its unassuming understanding, "Yes, she said you were the sweet, worrying kind. She's upstairs in her room."

"She… is?" Yuzuru was puzzled.

"Yes." His confusion didn't go unnoticed by Kasumi, "I suppose I should explain why. I don't know if Kanade has ever told you about her medical condition?"

The way in which Yuzuru's eyes widened was more than enough to tell her that he knew nothing. Kasumi wasn't overly surprised that her daughter hadn't told him yet, even though Yuzuru and she had been spending so much time together lately. It wasn't the easiest thing to slip into a conversation, and despite the calm, sedate mien which usually accompanied Kanade through her day to day life, she was obviously a shy person. In all likelihood she _had _wanted to share the finer details with Yuzuru, but just hadn't known how to broach the subject.

Kasumi knew, however, that her daughter wouldn't mind if she let Yuzuru in on her condition, worried as he was. From what Kanade had shared with her mother regarding the boy, and what she'd seen of the boy's obvious concern so far, he was somebody in which they could trust.

"She has a hole in her heart." If she'd thought Yuzuru's eyes were wide before, they were all but popping out of his head by now, "It's only small, mind you…" she went on to reassure, "nothing that will ever threaten her life. She told me that you were training to be a doctor, so you may well understand the finer points better than I do."

There was some reassurance to be found in her words, Yuzuru had to admit. But at the same time as his grave concerns were waning, another sensation was beginning to rise up in its stead. It was a strange emotion – a combination of the very same curiosity and desire to help that had always been there when he thought of his own sister, Hatsune, and her condition. The thought that perhaps, if he'd known more, he'd be better placed to help.

One day soon, perhaps that self-same emotion would earn him his doctorate.

All the while, with his concerns somewhat abated, his curiosity piqued, "Is it congenital?"

Kasumi shook her head, the motion sending waves through her hair in a way which reminded him so much of Kanade, "No. Just a birth defect. I never had it, and neither did Kanade's father."

Yuzuru nodded slowly, taking the fact on board. He wasn't entirely sure _why_ he'd asked, or even if the information would ever prove relevant. Though he supposed it did rule out a few conditions, whatever it was would already be on Kanade's medical record – the doctors would no doubt have done everything they could for her after she was born. What could he hope to do, a mere student doctor?

Well, he could be there for Kanade whenever she needed him. Not in any medical capacity, but as a friend. As somebody who cared deeply for her. It ignited a new resolve within him, the urge to care for the angel girl from his dreams.

"She's always had it." Kasumi went on, dragging Yuzuru out of his reverie and back to the present, "But it doesn't run in the family. Growing up it never really held her back, not by itself. But, the doctors always told us to avoid undue excitement where possible… Too much strain and it would affect her like this; make her woozy and lightheaded."

That sure explained the calm, quietly unobtrusive persona Kanade always projected serenely to the world around her. In combination with her natural timidity it always served to project a palliative aura across those around her, and it was something Yuzuru had come to find quite soothing, and exceptionally endearing.

"With the way she's been talking about you, I knew this would happen sooner or later."

The wave of guilt washing over the young man wasn't lost on Kasumi, the pained look in his eyes giving physical form to the emotion with remarkable intensity, and for a moment she regretted letting the words escape her lip.

"Oh, don't worry, Yuzuru." She did her best to try and offer some reassurance, "It's not your fault. We did talk about it, and what it would mean if she had one of these _episodes_. She decided you were worth the risk, and I support whatever decision she makes."

If Yuzuru had to be totally honest, he wasn't entirely convinced by what Kanade's mother was telling him – he was partially responsible, in his eyes at least, and ignorance didn't seem to be sufficient excuse for him to forgive himself. Maybe Kanade _did _think it was worth the risk to her health, however small that risk actually was – from what he knew of her, it seemed incredibly likely that she thought precisely _that_ – but still, despite the apparent inevitability of these _episodes_ a little warning and maybe he could've been there for her in this instance.

And there was one other thing which puzzled him, "But we've been seeing each other on a daily basis for the past few weeks…" Yuzuru put words to his thoughts, "Why now?"

The shrug Kasumi offered him came off as a bit more nonchalant than she'd intended, but then if her experience had taught her anything it was that these things were very difficult to predict, and often amounted to little more than mild discomfort for Kanade and a few days of inconvenience. At the same time, she could understand just how bad it could look to somebody peering in from the outside – heart conditions weren't something to be taken lightly, after all – and she sympathised with Yuzuru's point of view. She'd been of the same mind when Kanade was younger, and the mind-set she now bore was something hard-fought for against the stronger aspects of her maternal instincts.

Given sufficient time, she had no doubt that Yuzuru would come to understand things in the same manner that she did.

Still, for now, she needed to offer him some additional reassurance, "Yesterday she kept going on about how she had something to tell you today." Though she admitted mentally that Kanade hadn't actually told her what it was, "Then, last night, she turned. She's been in bed ever since."

"Will she be-" Yuzuru began, apparently still unable to dispel the deeper-seated aspects of his misgivings.

"Don't worry, Yuzuru." Kasumi interjected softly, trying to strike the balance between her sympathies for the poor boy and the stern resolve she knew was needed to get the message across, "A couple of days of bed rest and she'll be her normal self again."

The relief which washed over him was almost palpable, and it drew a sincere smile from Kasumi's lips. Perhaps it wouldn't take as long as she'd thought to get him to understand. Knowledge was easy to impart, but wisdom often lingered.

"So…" he seemed at once both nervous yet eager, "Can I see her?"

Kasumi had to admit that the apparent timidity did Yuzuru justice. If there had been any concern that Kanade's claims that he was a true gentleman in both habit and intent were false, that unwitting display would've removed the last of any lingering doubts regarding his sincerity. He cared. And he cared deeply, "Upstairs. Second to last door on the left."

"Thank you!"

The eagerness with which he turned and began to move for the stairs almost summoned a chuckle in Kasumi, but it was tempered and stifled by her need to offer Yuzuru a brief warning, "Just… Take care, Yuzuru." She warned, knowing he heard her words as he slowed his ascent, "She may be a bit delirious."

Yuzuru turned his head just far enough to make eye contact and offer a nod before scaling the last of the stairs and vanishing from sight.

Kasumi smiled, a contended sigh audible to none but her.

_Ah, to be young again…_

-o-O-o-

Finding Kanade's room posed remarkably easy for Yuzuru, marked as it was by a small name plaque hanging in vigil beside the doorframe. He considered knocking for a moment, a bundle of unexpected nerves causing doubts and trepidation to well up within him, but he decided to simply weather them and enter instead. If he'd hesitated for even a moment then there was no way he'd maintain his courage.

The door, much to his surprise when he tried to open it, wasn't locked. But then it did make sense – Kanade's mother was no doubt checking up on her at regular intervals, so of course the door would be unlocked.

The room itself was quite dark compared to the hall to which it was connected, no doubt the curtains were drawn to keep out the light and enable Kanade to get all the sleep she required. It took Yuzuru's eyes a second or two to adjust, allowing him to take in the room in its entirety. It was a remarkably unassuming place. The floorboards were bare, though varnished, and complimented the monotone apple white walls with their darker contrast. There was a single large window in the wall opposite the door, across which were drawn full-length blackout curtains in a pale colour he couldn't quite place in the darkness– were they yellow or white. Perhaps just on the slightly more yellow side of buttermilk?

Beneath the window there was a decent-sized wooden desk with space enough for a desktop computer and a place currently littered with various textbooks and writing pads. A dozen or so books stood to attention in a neat little row where the back of the desk met the wall just beneath the window, though he couldn't make out the titles or authors in the dark. There was also a small free-standing picture frame towards the edge closest to an occupied single bed.

It was a proper bedstead and mattress rather than a futon, complete with duvet and valance. Kanade's slight figure was easy enough to make out beneath the covers, even in this darkness.

Plucking up the courage to venture further inside, Yuzuru paused long enough to close the door behind himself before carefully and quietly making his way over towards the desk, wanting to get a better look at the photograph within the frame. A closer glimpse revealed that it was actually a dual-picture frame, separated into two distinct halves by a solid vertical divide. On one side there was a drawing of a face, seemingly professionally etched and shaded in various graphite pencil tones - he had to admit, it looked remarkably like a picture of himself – and on the other side a small photograph of a man, woman and child all sitting together.

The urge to pick up the ornate silver frame and have a closer look was too overwhelming to resist, and it took Yuzuru only a moment to realise exactly what the photograph was showing. The woman in the picture was unmistakably Kanade's mother, smiling widely and warmly directly into the camera. The man, his arm protectively around her shoulder, sported an equally intense smile. His eyes were a startlingly bright azure, though his hair was as white and vibrant as Kanade's own.

And there, sat between the two, was a little girl no older than four or five with a look of pure delight on her face. The platinum locks and shimmering bangs were unmistakable, and the sparkling smile captured in those golden eyes was one he'd grown to know very well. It was a smile that only _she _could have worn, a fleeting glance into her soul which she afforded only to those she wished to share her joy with. It had lost none of its innocence between now and then.

"Kanade…" he smiled down at the little photograph. The happiness, the uncompromisingly pure delight that one little photograph managed to encapsulate, was truly heart-warming.

"Yuzuru?" Kanade's soft voice lapped drowsily at his ears, pulling his attention towards the occupied bed. Even in the slight light of the darkened room he could see the gentle, reflective shimmer of her half-opened eyes.

Yuzuru couldn't have restrained the smile that crossed his lips even if he'd wanted to, putting the photo frame down gently in its place, "Hey there, sleepy head."

Yuzuru had a quick look around, spying the chair that went with the desk – an adjustable swivel office chair, padded out with what appeared to be real black leather – and pulled it over to the side of Kanade's bed. He perched himself carefully on the edge, leaning forwards and supporting his arms on his knees.

Kanade's sleepy smile as she looked back up at him through heavy lidded eyes showed she was aware enough of her surroundings to know Yuzuru was with her, though he wasn't entirely certain how conscious she was of his actions. She blinked slowly, as if caught up in a dream, and held a hand out towards him.

Tentatively, Yuzuru reached out and took her hand in his own, closing his larger digits around her small fingers and giving a reassuring squeeze. Her hand was slightly clammy, as if she'd been suffering with a fever, yet it was surprisingly cool at the same time. He was about to ask her how she was feeling when with a gentle yawn and a smack of her lips she lifted his hand to her cheek and moved to roll over.

Leaning forwards as he was, Yuzuru was caught completely off-balance, and Kanade had put enough force into her roll to pull him onto her bed.

"Yikes!" was his surprised protest as he reached out to catch himself, trying to avoid landing across her. He only just managed it, leaving him with an uncomfortable amount of pressure in the wrist of his one formerly-free, now-supporting arm.

He allowed himself a stifled moment of restrained laughter, the chuckle catching in his throat as he reigned it in, realising his one remaining option. Staying as he was, his wrist would go dead in a matter of minutes. Wrenching his other hand free would no doubt wake Kanade up completely, and as much as he'd like to talk to her right now – maybe even ask for his hand back? – he'd rather weather the situation and let her get the rest she so desperately needed.

Besides, spending a little time with her like this wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Yuzuru carefully lifted himself up onto the bed, freeing up his supporting hand and bringing it up to stroke her hair. The sweet scent which greeted him being this close to her was slightly floral, with a hint of spice and incense.

Comfortable, he closed his eyes.

Only for a moment.

-o-O-o-

Kasumi Tachibana had never really thought of herself as out of shape. Then again, she'd never been a fitness fanatic either, having no particular sport she liked to play and never having held gym membership in her life. But, as she carted the drinks tray carefully up the stairs – complete with overly-full pitcher and glasses - trying to balance both herself and the tray's contents, huffing and puffing all the way, she began to give it some serious thought.

It wasn't that she was unused to climbing the stairs either, having lived in that house for so long. In all likelihood it had more to do with the fact that she'd just spent the last ten minutes running around the lower floor of the house getting those all-important little chores completed and out of the way – and in record time too – so she could check up on her daughter and her companion.

With a heavy sigh she was finally on the landing at the top of the staircase, and with not a drop spilled. There was something incredibly satisfying with that.

Of course, the next obstacle was the door to Kanade's room itself. Somehow, employing a balancing act which would have proven a challenge to even the most seasoned of acrobats, standing on one leg and balancing the entire tray precariously on one hand whilst the other granted her admission by pulling aside the door. She had to wonder how waiters could do this for a living.

"Alright, kids." She beamed merrily as she stepped into the room, "Drinks are on the house. OJ for Kanade, and Yuzuru I didn't know what you'd like so I brought you a bottle of…"

She trailed off into silence when she looked over the sight which greeted her. Kanade, safely cocooned in her duvet, breathing slowly and deeply in unconscious rest. Yuzuru, atop the blankets, had his arm around her protectively, himself snoring ever so slightly.

The sweet innocence of it all imparted upon Kasumi a fond sense of nostalgia.

"I'll just leave this here…" she spoke to nobody in particular, placing the tray silently on the desk. She took another moment to replace the chair which had been by the bed to its rightful spot under the desk.

When she left the room she only looked back the once, taking in the sight one last time. She was happy for Kanade, knowing the happiness she was likely to find in the arms of this young gentleman.

The door shut silently, and the room fell once again into a peaceful darkness.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 5: Matters of the Heart**

Author's Note:

I apologise if that felt a bit like filler and very little plot progression. This is actually only half of the content I wanted to get into this chapter, but I felt that to include everything in one block would make it uncomfortably long by my conventions, and I didn't want to risk cutting sections out at the cost of the quality of my writing. As a result, this chapter ended up being mostly Yuzuru's inner thoughts and feelings. I hope I pulled it off quite well – I'm sure you'd tell me if I completely missed the mark.

Including Kanade's mother in this chapter also wasn't something I had in the original draft. But, as I began to flesh this one out a bit I found that including her brought more to the plot than my initial set-up would have. I don't think a name was ever mentioned in the Anime (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), so I opted for Kasumi (which means mist).

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it so far. There's a lot more of this story to come!


	6. Book 1: Ch 6: What Dreams May Come

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Chapter 6: What Dreams May Come**

-o-O-o-

_The sun beat insistently down upon the world below, warm and welcome, driving the balmy summer breeze as it danced amongst the plants and flowers. It was still too early in the season for the heat to be oppressive, and the few fluffy little white clouds which ebbed lazily through the otherwise clear blue sky offered an occasional respite if they happened to make their way across the sun._

_The garden was truly beautiful at this time of year, with all of the flowers parading themselves for the benefit of the butterflies and bumblebees, displaying an array of colours so vast and vivid that it was almost dizzying. Kanade was knelt on the very edge of the lawn, where short, carefully manicured grass gave way to deep and rich topsoil, leaning over the flowerbed and pulling the weeds out from between her chosen flowers with thick-gloved hands. Some were more stubborn than others, having taken deeper root, but her trowel and hand-fork sat readily by her side should she need them._

_After uprooting some rather stubborn mare's tail Kanade allowed herself a moment to breathe, rising only so far as a kneeling position. Removing her gloves to avoid spreading the soil which now caked them, she lifted her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve, taking the moment to appreciate the area she'd liberated from the insistent little weed so far.._

"_Hard work?" a familiar voice interrupted her break._

"_Well worth it," she smiled without turning to look, rising instead to her feet and completely removing her hat. A quick tug of her hair pins and her long, platinum hair fell free, shimmering in the bright sunlight. She fanned herself casually with the hat, though it did little to actually cool her down, "You should join me, Yuzuru. A little hard work would do you the world of good." She teased playfully._

"_Hey," he protested with a smirk, less than convincingly attempting to feign indignation as he stood there with his hands behind his back, "I am working hard."_

_Kanade raised an eyebrow, wordlessly questioning the dubious claim._

"_I am!" he objected, a suspicious looking grin putting the lie to his words, "Look!"_

_As Yuzuru brought his hands into view Kanade couldn't help but notice the two small half-litre bottles of water he'd carried with him, the dewy moisture clouding up the outside of the bottle steaming away lightly as it evaporated._

"_You shouldn't risk dehydration." Yuzuru's tone took on a more serious timbre as he held out one of the bottles to her, already knowing she wouldn't refuse it._

_Kanade accepted it gratefully, but she still couldn't resist the opportunity to play with him a little bit more, "Is that your professional opinion as my doctor?"_

"_No." he smirked, catching on instantly and retaliating, "It's my professional opinion as your husband and caregiver."_

"_Oh, Yuzuru…" she fanned herself with one hand and fluttering her eyelashes at him, pretending to swoon, "I had no idea you cared!"_

_They both shared a brief chuckle, enjoying the easy playful banter. It had come quite naturally to the pair of them over the years they'd know each other, becoming a cornerstone of their relationship and one of the most vocal expressions of their shared affections._

"_Of course I care." Yuzuru smiled softly as Kanade took a sip of her water, speaking in earnest, "You're my dream girl, remember?"_

_Kanade swallowed, enjoying the cool relief the water offered on the way down. The near icy sensation when it hit her stomach cooled her core and actually sent the briefest of shivers down her spine. _

_She was about to say something to him in return, but a third more distant voice interrupted, drawing both of their attentions. The words were muffled and indistinct, but the intonation was clearly recognisable._

"_We're in the garden!" Yuzuru shouted._

_Sure enough from the path which led down the side of the house appeared Kasumi, her light summery dress accentuated by a wicker hat almost identical to Kanade's – except the for the bow being green rather than red – and two hands completely laden with overly full shopping bags._

"_I've got something that belongs to you two." She declared as she passed through the gate which separated the side passage from the back garden, marking the point where the concrete path turned into a series of slabs which marked out a curving path from one corner of the garden to another diagonally opposite, ending in front of the garden sheds. It cut through the grass like stepping-stones through a mountain stream._

_As if on cue a small, porcelain-pale face framed by messy platinum locks peered around from behind the mass of shopping bags, a pair of wide gleeful copper-hued eyes dancing with fervent excitement. Like a rocket, the little girl was off the mark and running straight for Kanade. With a wide grin she moved down onto one knee, opening her arms as the little girl ran excited straight into her._

"_Mummy, mummy – look what I've got!" she chirped as Kanade rose again to her feet, arms protectively around her child as the young girl clung to her neck with one hand.._

_Kanade had to lean back slightly to make out exactly what it was she was being shown. There, in the smallest of hands, being held aloft like a trophy was a small little sapling. It looked a little bit yellowed and flaccid in the tips of its leaves, and the roots wrapped up far too tightly in a non-porous polythene bag. As a professional landscape gardener Kanade had developed an eye for these finer details over the years, but she was sure that with a little care and attention the tiny tree would recover._

"_Where did you get that, Sayuri?" she asked the girl in her arms._

"_At the fair with Nana and Aunt Hatsune," she hadn't taken her eyes of the delicate little shrub the whole time, as if she was trying to figure it out. The intensely serious concentration made her little nose wrinkle and her brow furrow. _

_Yuzuru stepped up a little closer, ruffling the girl's hair playfully – to her mild amusement – just to torment her, "Where is Hatsune, anyway?"_

"_She met some friends, so we let her go." Kasumi answered first, "Right Sayuri?"_

"_Yeah!" she was beaming brightly from ear to ear, "She'll be home for dinner! She promised me!"_

"_Well, then." Kanade rubbed her nose against her daughter's, eliciting a mirth-filled giggle, "I think we need to pick out somewhere nice to plant this little tree, don't you?"_

_The eager nod from Sayuri was confirmation enough, so Kanade returned her gently to her feet. With a reassuring pat on the back, she pushed her daughter gently forwards, pointing to the spot where she'd been weeding only a few minutes earlier and issuing a simple instruction, "Don't forget the trowel."_

_With a level of care practiced innumerable times over the few short years of her life, Sayuri managed to navigate the flowerbed without trampling a single flower – though she didn't grant the poor, unfortunate weeds the same courtesy – and retrieved her mother's soil-clad trowel, holding it safely and securely by the handle in just the way Kanade had taught her._

_She handed it to her mother with an almost dutiful faux-salute, her eagerness bubbling over to the point where she practically bounced about on the spot, drawing out a grin from the three adults present._

_Kanade, accepting the tool, offered her thanks with a good-natured salute of her own, "You remember which one's the southern corner of the garden?"_

"_Yeah!" Like lightning Sayuri was running off across the lawn. Kanade chuckled, picking up her skirt in her free hand to avoid tripping over it and giving chase._

_Sayuri eagerly led the way to one of the far corners of the garden, where the rounded-off crook of the lawn gave way to bare, tilled topsoil. It was one of the few sections of Kanade's garden that remained uncultivated, experimenting as she was with the soil's composition – naturally it was quite poor quality, with an overly clay-based texture which made it cling to water far longer than desired, leaving it unsuitable for her usually favoured species of flowers and plants. She'd even considered the spot for a small water feature, perhaps a bubble fountain, though she hadn't committed to anything yet. But, if the little shrub in her daughter's hands was what she suspected – a fledgling sycamore of some sort – it should prove very hardy and able to cope very well indeed. Perhaps it would even thrive._

"_I think this will do perfectly." Kanade caught up with Sayuri, handing the trowel to her and kneeling on the edge of the grass, leaving her at head-height with the small girl, "Now, I need you to measure out five paces from the edge of the grass. Think you can do that for me?"_

_Yuzuru watched the pair with a fond smile as they set about preparing the spot for Sayuri's tree, chuckling at the overly dramatic paces she was taking into the well-turned earth, "That'll be good firewood in a couple of decades!" he called out with a huge grin on his face._

_Sayuri turned back to look at her father, sticking out her tongue in outrage, "You're so mean, Daddy!"_

_Yuzuru just held up his hands in mock surrender, Sayuri returning to the edge of the grass and beginning to count her paces again. Kanade, hand over her mouth to hide the smirk on her lips, offered him an amused look._

_Yuzuru simply rolled his eyes playfully._

"_So," Kasumi spoke softly from the side, watching as Sayuri picked out the specific spot for her tree, Kanade moving forwards to join her shortly afterwards. The small girl held the trowel and began to dig away at the soil under her mother's precise instructions. Yuzuru had almost forgotten that Kasumi was there with them, too busy enjoying the little pantomime his family was putting on, "Did this ever make its way into your dreams, Yuzuru?"_

_Kasumi had always known about the dream he shared with Kanade, the dream which had essentially brought them together – the very basis of their bond. He supposed that it was one of the things that made her so easy to approach and talk to, and over time he'd come to view her very much like his own mother as much as Kanade's._

"_Oh, it did. Once." He admitted, thinking back to days past, though never for a moment looking away from the scene before him, "Then it became my reality."_

_He watched as Sayuri finished digging her little hole, tossing the trowel away with gusto, forcing Kanade to reach for it as quickly as her reactions would allow. She nearly overbalanced in trying to pluck it out of the air, but she managed to retain her footing. The tut she gave off matched the roll of her eyes, but the smirk betrayed her feigned outrage for what it really was - mild amusement._

_All of this was lost on Sayuri, fully engrossed in the task at hand, who had already made her way over to the little sapling, tearing away the polythene bag as if she'd been told it contained the greatest treasure in the world. Little shreds of the plastic fell to the grass, the light breeze picking some of them up and spreading them all across the garden from one flowerbed to another. It would take weeks for them all to decompose… Kanade would no doubt _love_ that._

_Sayuri was inordinately careful, though, as she transported the miniature tree back towards what would be its new home, the look of concentration contorting her face as she bit her tongue between her lips. All of this was for naught, however, as she dropped the tree into the hole from a height, causing Yuzuru to laugh._

All the determination of her mother, all the patience of a five year old_… Yuzuru thought fondly to himself._

_Kanade was once again by their daughter's side, the pair of them kneeling together next to the tree. Yuzuru couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it was clear that Kanade was instructing Sayuri on how to fill in the topsoil using her bare hands – and her arms, sleeves, and torso too, it seemed... Clearly the little terror's bath later on was going to result in enough sediment to start a decent-sized beach in their bathtub._

_Yuzuru couldn't hold back the smile, nor the pride, that the vision before him demanded. And to think that there would be more days like this._

_His heart soared._

-o-O-o-

When Kanade opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was just how dark the room around her was, and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd managed to sleep away the entire day. That would please her mother, who was always adamant that after an _episode _she simply take it easy and let her body recover at its own pace. There was no point adding extra stress, after all.

It was an incredibly draining experience – it always had been – because it left her feeling almost completely deflated, as if something were sucking all of the energy from her body. She didn't mind the respite, but she would much rather have be outside in the open, taking in the fresh air. Come rain, sleet, snow or shine, outside was the place she always wanted to be – free, and alive.

The second thing she noticed, when she tried to move, was that something had her duvet pinned down behind her. It took another few moments for her to realise that there was also an arm draped over her.

Intense surprise caught her by the throat as she held in her startled yelp. Who could possibly be on her bed? Her mother _never _did anything like that, and the deep blue-purple veins which crisscrossed from wrist to knuckles were far too masculine. But who else could it be? Nobody could've gotten into the house without her mum noticing, much less all the way up the stairs and into her room – especially as she knew of her mum's regular check-ups on her condition.

As difficult as it was proving for her to escape the confines of her duvet, it wasn't too much of a challenge for her to roll over in bed to see who it was keeping her more or less pinned. When she finally came face-to-face with the placid, restful face and tussled, tangled mess of orange hair which she instantly recognised it took real effort to contain a stunned gasp.

"Yuzuru…" she whispered with awe into the silence.

But that shock was soon superseded by a warm, tender affection which manifested itself as a smile. She managed to somehow work one of her hands free, reaching out to tentatively trace the contours of his cheek with caring fingertips, worried that this may all have been yet another in a long line of dreams which could soon come to an end, as if the very act of touching him would anchor the moment to reality.

But he didn't vanish.

Vast oceans of cupreous hazel slowly revealed themselves to her as eyes lazy from the lingering effects of sleep opened to the small darkened world that was Kanade's bedroom. Yuzuru didn't seem to regain consciousness all at once, instead gazing dreamily into Kanade's eyes.

"Sorry." She apologised softly as he continued to slowly gather his wits, "I didn't meant to wake you."

There was a moment of silence in which he seemed to slowly comprehend, a light blush accompanying a few drawn-out yet clarifying blinks of his eyes as he recalled precisely where he was. His expression took on a certain apologetic pallor despite the redness in his cheeks, "I didn't mean to fall asleep with you." He didn't make any move to leave, though, nor to remove Kanade's fingertips from his cheek. All he offered her was his warm-hearted smile, "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better." She admitted quietly, not meeting Yuzuru's eyes with her own for a moment, a slight hint of unease or maybe even embarrassment giving a quiet reserve to her words, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

The smile which had spread thinly across Yuzuru's lips infused his words with a warm sympathy as he tried to reassure her, "Don't worry about it, Kanade."

Whilst he couldn't deny that he would've liked to know about her condition beforehand, Yuzuru wasn't about to hold it against her in any way at all. After all, something like that – serious as a hole in the heart may well be – was a very, very personal matter, and whether she'd wanted to keep it from him or just hadn't been able to find the right way to bring it up in the first place, he could fully understand – even if he did suspect that it was more for the latter reason than the former that she hadn't told him.

He didn't believe for an instant that she'd _wanted_ to keep it a secret from him – both Kanade's current demeanour and the conversation he'd had with Kasumi, her mother, had put paid to that - but he accepted that it was very much her own secret to keep.

The timid silence which now punctuated her bashful reticence served only to make him realise how needlessly guilty she was feeling over the issue, and he couldn't stand to have her feel so ashamed that she dare not look him in the eye.

With as gentle a hand as he was capable of, Yuzuru lifted her chin so that he could meet her eyes. There was a sadness there which needn't have been, and he _knew _from somewhere deep within that he was the only one capable of dispelling it, if only for the reason that he had managed to cause it in the first place.

"It did make me realise one thing, though." He spoke at barely a whisper as Kanade's eyes trembled, hoping that his affections for her would somehow make themselves known to her in a wordless impart.

"What's that?" she asked so softly that her words, had he not been expecting them, may have gone unnoticed.

"I want to get to know you a _lot_ better." Yuzuru's hand delicately embraced the side of Kanade's face, a reflection of the tactile expression which she herself had used to draw him back into the conscious world, "I want to know _everything_ about you."

The earnestly endearing smile which unfurled itself gloriously across Kanade's lips instantly washed all trace of sadness from her eyes. It lifted Yuzuru's very soul to see, and it elicited the fluttering of his own heart with its radiant beauty.

It made him realise that there was something else he had to tell her, thoughts and feelings that needed to be given form and made real, and in her eyes he found the courage to do just that, "I've been thinking about the dream a lot lately too."

Kanade's eyes spoke of intrigue, though the smile remained, unwavering, "Oh?"

"We _have_ met before."

Her curiosity only piqued further, "When?"

"I don't know..." he admitted, the only honest answer he could give. But there were feelings there when he recalled the dream, feeling which he knew – somehow – were as real as the ones she had reincarnated in him now. It was too much of a coincidence for him to doubt it anymore, it was all too real, and he no longer had the will to deny it, "Maybe in a past life?"

"I see."

He couldn't really tell if what he was seeing was scepticism or not.

"It's strange." He went on, hoping to convince her, "I can't explain it. It's just a feeling..."

Kanade honestly had no idea what Yuzuru was trying to get at, nor why he was being so overly cryptic, "What's just a feeling?"

Yuzuru considered several different ways to answer – the emotions which currently filled his being to the very brim of overflowing were so numerous it was difficult to pin each of them down with mere words. But then, at the same time, he knew that it all stemmed from a single truth, a single emotion which had been there for such a very long time now, longer than he'd actually known the platinum-haired Angel of his dreams.

She laid there beside him, looking up with eyes so full of wonder despite her apparently stoic mien, and he knew in that instant that she would understand the nature of the feeling. There was only one word which could describe it, and in that singular word he found the courage he needed to express it.

"I loved you there too."

Yuzuru was truly amazed by the sheer magnitude of different shades of red and pink which flushed Kanade's otherwise porcelain skin. It was the first time he'd ever seen anybody turn that intense combination of colours and not pass out, though the delight-filled smile which waxed across her lips and lit up her eyes with a bright, trembling sparkle reassured him that she wasn't in any real danger of a relapse.

For Kanade, the reasons were obvious – overwhelming, and thoroughly joy-filled – and her eyes began to blur as tears formed and started to run down her cheeks. She'd known, absolutely _known_, sure and certain for the longest of times that the boy from her dream – _their_ dream, she reminded herself – _had_ to have been real. The memories were just far too vivid, the emotions far too _real _to have been anything else besides a sweet, if lost, reality.

There had been times when she had doubted it, times when she'd wondered if the lucid events has somehow entrenched themselves so deeply within her subconscious that she'd simply managed to convince herself that it was a mere illusion.

All of that uncertainty had begun to vanish the day Yuzuru had literally stepped into her life. It was _him_. It could only ever have been _him_. And though it had taken the rational side of her mind so very much longer to sate its need for proof, her heart – frail, weak, imperfect - had known the truth for so very much longer.

She felt it now, beating in her chest apace, spurred into action by the revelation those precious few words he'd whispered to her, that fleeting confession of a connection both felt and both reciprocated. Since that first day together she'd felt it there between them. Their time together had simply nurtured the sensation, allowing it to grow and blossom like a magnificent yet delicate and tender rose.

And her heart sang because if it.

Without offering him a warning Kanade seized the moment. The hand on his cheek, having remained there the entire time, advanced to encircle his head and pull him forwards towards her. Kanade felt more than a little clumsy, perhaps even a little awkward. But the courage to see this through surged within her, rising up with the beat of her heart, a desperate need to express something so much beyond words the sole driving force behind her actions.

She had to tell him, to have him understand.

Her eyes fell shut, and their lips met. Before he knew it, Yuzuru's wide-eyed shock turned to tender reciprocation, and so much was said without the need for either one to speak. What could mere words hope to articulate when what each of them felt was so far beyond the verse of even the most fabled poets of forgotten lore?

Kanade kissed him. And he kissed her back.

It didn't last long – a momentary eternity in its own right – but it conveyed the truly fathomless depths of that one shared emotion.

She loved him too.

When their lips finally parted and copper eyed wonderment met deep aureate affection neither of them felt the need to speak. There was only the moment each needed to take in the other.

As Yuzuru simply gazed into the vibrant auric depths of her eyes he couldn't help but think of the dream he'd just had. The sensations it had stirred within him reminded him very much of the dream he had shared with Kanade of some mysterious, near-forgotten past, though it left behind the residual emotions of optimism and exhilaration instead of the prior's usual torment and unease.

Somehow, he just _felt _as if he were looking forwards instead of backwards, perhaps at a vision of his – of their – future. He knew that nothing could ever be set in stone; that much he knew for certain. How he knew it, he wasn't really certain, but something within him just understood the truth there.

The vision he'd been granted was a possible future for both Kanade and himself. And, like anything worth having, he had no doubt that it was something he'd have to work towards. It was something he'd likely have to fight for. And something that would take a lifetime for them both to work on and build.

He knew that he had that in himself, simply because he knew it was exactly what he wanted. And he knew he'd give anything to have it – a future together with this delicate, fragile angel of his dreams.

And now, looking into her eyes, the very window into her soul, something there told him that it was what she wanted to.

The way she smiled softly. The way she looked unwaveringly back _into_ him. The way she never broke the touch they shared as her hand caressed his face.

The wordless emotions she was sharing with him.

He knew.

He _knew_.

"Kanade," he broke the comfortable silence with the most suitable word he could ever have imagined, "Have you ever done much gardening?"

Her expression remained the same barely-readable stoicism Yuzuru had come to expect from her – though her eye revealed everything she was feeling to him, as he suspected they always would. She blinked twice, slowly. "No." it was a puzzling thing for him to bring up, embracing as they were on her bed, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." He thought back to the dream once more, his eyes taking on a wistful, almost fanciful glaze. A single image – Kanade, and the little copper-eyed, platinum haired Sayuri together in their garden, giving a home, giving life to that little sycamore tree. Yuzuru, watching the pair, the both of them equally as much a part of him as his own soul. It was a dream he was _definitely _going to hold on to. "I just think you'd be really, really good at it."

Kanade simply looked at him for a few moments, thinking it over. Then, slowly, a warm, almost knowing smile spread across her lips, lighting up her face in a way that took Yuzuru's breath away.

That beautiful, beautiful smile.

Just for him.

His heart skipped a beat.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 6: What Dreams May Come**


	7. Book 1: Epilogue

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book I: The Station**

**Epilogue**

-o-O-o-

Eighty years.

When you lay it out straight like that, even looking back, it was difficult to overlook just how long that truly was.

Nine hundred and sixty months.

Twenty-nine thousand, two hundred and twenty days.

Forty-two million, seventy-six thousand, eight-hundred minutes.

One astounding lifetime.

For Kanade, it brought nothing but a contented smile to her face and a permeating warmth to her soul. Her one lifetime – eighty years, give or take – with Yuzuru had been a truly awe-inspiring enduring dream. And how she relished the time they'd had together, the life they had built, the memories they'd shared.

And oh, how much she had missed it since her passing.

Even though she knew this afterlife would let her wait an eternity if need be, it felt almost as if she would have to wait until time itself came to its long-awaited end. Time, even when it was rendered a toothless beast as in this world, seemed to simply draw itself out like a knife, leaving an excruciating agony in its wake.

Kanade knew that she'd been dead before. She remembered everything now – the people, their faces, the events that had unfurled between them and eventually pushed each of them forwards to their new lives.

And the first time she'd met Yuzuru.

Since that night not too long ago, when she'd drawn to the end of what she considered a long and fulfilled life, she'd been able to recall everything, from the existence she'd recently vacated to the purgatory which had led her there in the first place – the source of all her dreams, her memories of Yuzuru. But even now, sitting in an infirmary that looked like an almost perfect replica of the one in that _other _afterlife, she knew this place was different. It wasn't the same kind of limbo. It wasn't a place to make amends or right all the wrongs unjustly bestowed in life. She was here because it was a familiar place. This really was just a duplicate of that _other_ school for lost souls. It was more of a sanctuary – simply a place to wait.

And she knew exactly why she was waiting.

She sat there quietly beside one of the beds – the only bed which was currently occupied – and simply observed the occupant in contemplative silence. Yuzuru slept there beneath the thin fabric of the blanket, drawing slow and deep breaths, possibly dreaming. But who could really tell?

He had been lying there, comatose and unmoving, for at least three days – not that a "day" meant anything around here. The sun would rise and the sun would set, but the seasons had never shown any intention of changing – and hadn't shown any signs of waking up. He looked so peaceful, simply laying there. It was strange to see him in his youth again, as he had been the very first time they'd met, just before she'd stabbed him through the heart… The last memory she could recall of her life was of an elderly Yuzuru sitting beside her in bed, reading a book out loud for her benefit. Though there had been more than a few age-worn wrinkles there the beautiful copper of his eyes was still the same old Yuzuru.

There was no disguising that.

But now, his youth returned to him, she remembered just how handsome he really was to her.

The soft groan from the bed pulled her firmly out of her memories and back to whatever it was that constituted the real world in that place. Yuzuru stirred lightly, wincing in his sleep, and rolling onto his side to face Kanade.

_This is new… _she thought to herself.

As his eyes slowly lifted Kanade couldn't resist the pull of her memory as it drew her back through time to that night all those many years ago, the night of their first kiss. It was the night, maybe not when it all began, but when their future had truly began. Of course, that future was entirely within the past now, she realised. But _that _night would always remain a part of her from that very moment until the end of time itself.

Yuzuru's eyes seemed somewhat glassy, as if he were staring off somewhere into the middle-distance, detached somehow from the reality around him. Kanade remembered the various sensations from her own passing, consciousness proving slow to establish itself as the dream-like state of living lingered for a moment longer, fading eventually into memory and yielding to the nature of this new actuality.

His passing had been peaceful, this time.

She was grateful for that.

Then his eyes seemed to focus, and scan the room in which he was lying. It didn't take long for them to lock upon Kanade's face, sitting as close to the bed as she was, and at once they ignited with bold recognition. His eyes widened for a fleeting moment before his body could catch up, flinging himself upright in bed, a look of surprise carved in cold stone upon his features.

"K-Kanade?" he whispered disbelievingly. Kanade found it cute, in its own way, "How… Why… You're-"

She leaned forwards, taking his hand in her own. It wouldn't take him too much longer to catch on now, she knew. He was usually pretty quick on the uptake.

"Hello, Yuzuru." She offered simply, a slight smile pervading her otherwise neutral mien. It did nothing to display the inwards longing she'd held to see him again, nor the overwhelming joy now that he was at last there with her again. But in his present state, clearly somewhat bewildered, she knew that her calming presence would do far more to settle him than anything else she was capable of expressing.

"But you're…" Yuzuru seemed to hesitate, considering the possibility that everything around him could quite easily turn out to be an illusion. Instead he simply took in his surroundings. The less than comfortable bed, the thin and flimsy sheets, the cubicles separated by heavy, faded yellow polyester curtains…

"Dead?" Kanade tried to complete the thought for him.

"I was going to say 'young again'…" His face seemed to lose several shades of colour, leaving him a slightly queasy hue of green, "This looks an awful lot like-"

"It is." Kanade interrupted him. She didn't want to leave him guessing when he appeared so unsettled, so uncomfortable. She had no doubt that he'd come to terms with it readily enough, but the entire experience had to be disorientating. It had taken her the best part of her first hour to recall that she had actually died and that this was some sort of afterlife, so Yuzuru was already making good progress. Though she still appreciated how unsettling it was.

"But are we-?"

"No." she shook her head softly, sending waves through the full length of her platinum locks, "This place is different."

"Then I did-"

"Yes." She nodded. He was beginning to understand what had happened.

"So I'm-"

"Yes." She nodded again.

"Oh…" Yuzuru fell back against the cold metal headboard, letting his head loll back with a sigh as he seemed to think. Massaging the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger , he allowed himself a couple of deep breaths to sustain his composure, "I only wanted to take a nap!"

Kanade didn't have it in her to stifle the giggle which erupted from her smile. Even now, in coming to terms with the fact that his life was over, Yuzuru managed to joke – managed to make her smile. It was one of the many things about him she'd missed since coming here. She honestly had no idea how long it had been – time had very little meaning – but it had felt like a needlessly long eternity.

She'd always known that it was only a matter of time until Yuzuru joined her. Now that he was here time really was no longer relevant.

"At least it was painless this time." He unwittingly broke into her reverie, "So if this isn't the same afterlife, why does it look so…"

That honestly hadn't been the question she'd expected him to ask, though it did show that his memory was perfectly intact. Unlike the last time he didn't seem to have forgotten his past life, nor their shared past in the afterlife. That in itself was both a blessing and a curse – she doubted that she could've borne out having her Yuzuru forget who she was. She knew from her own experience that, looking back now, life had seemed almost like a waking dream, a fleeting phantasm that had imprinted itself upon her soul with warm and pleasant memories.

Yuzuru had been right. Life had been worth living.

"You remember it all too?" she asked him, an eyebrow rising jointly with her curiosity as she wondered if _everything _had come back to him so quickly. He simply nodded, so Kanade didn't probe any further into the matter, "I thought this would be easier for you."

There was a moment of wide-eyed surprise on Yuzuru's part, "You did all of this?"

He took in the room around him one more time, noting the detail in everything he saw, from the slightly uneven floor tiles to the few patches of ageing, peeling paint on the infirmary walls. He ran the fabric of his covers between his fingers, feeling out the rough texture and the fine weave of the material.

Kanade had gone to all that effort just for him, to set him at ease. It couldn't have been easy to bring so many hints of non-uniformity into this place – the time and concentration must have been fairly intense. Either she'd been at it a long, _long _time, or she just had a natural aptitude.

But then again, who had he ever met who was more focused and driven than his life-long angel?

It was then that he noticed the chair off to the other side of the bed, complete with an old looking shirt and an enormous crimson stain which looked like it was still fresh. Yuzuru shot Kanade a suspicious look, though her own expression remained professionally blank, "Nice touch…" had he not known her so well he might well have missed the ever so slight upward twitch at the corner of her mouth which marked a supressed smirk. To Yuzuru's eyes she may as well have telegraphed it.

He had to chuckle, "Though seeing you in that uniform again is always nice." He made a point of looking her head to toe with a slow nod of his head and a lecherous smirk, and extending a hand to her.

This time her smile did break out, amusement shimmering in her eyes, "Yuzuru, you're incorrigible."

That didn't for an instant stop her from taking his hand, though.

"You can't blame me." Yuzuru pulled her in towards him, holding her hand securely as he escorted her up onto the bed. With a ballroom-esque twirl Kanade ended up sat sideways across his lap, her right shoulder leaning against his chest and her head coming to rest in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Yuzuru rested his chin lightly atop Kanade's head, relishing the delicate scent of her hair and placing a considerate kiss as he wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug, "I've missed you."

Kanade nuzzled gently into his neck, returning the embrace as best she could, contented and happy to be in his arms again. She leaned up a little, tracing a soft kiss between his jawline and his cheek, "I've missed you too."

"So…" Yuzuru moved his head back a little bit, looking down on Kanade with a smile, "What do we do now; stay in this place for all eternity?" he asked, wondering if this was perhaps their own personal little afterlife. He couldn't help but wonder if they could make it entirely their own.

When Kanade looked up at him, meeting his gaze, her response wasn't entirely what he'd been expecting.

"Shall we go back?" she asked softly.

She was talking about life – going back, returning to the mortal coil and seeing once more how the infinite possibilities might play out.

"And do it all again?" Yuzuru asked, filled with both curiosity and fascination, "Meet? Fall in love?"

Kanade simply nodded, "Yes."

"How will we meet?"

"I'll find you." She was sure of it. She'd found him the last time, waited for him at the insistence of the hidden inner voice of her memories.

"How?" Yuzuru didn't seem quite as assured, but the gentle kiss she brushed delicately across his lips seemed to offer some reassurance.

"I'll follow my heart."

The look in her eyes told him that she _knew_ she'd find him. That sure and sturdy confidence was so unwavering that Yuzuru couldn't help but feel afflicted by it. It was contagious.

His only response was a silent nod and a smile, reciprocated by Kanade an instant later. Her arms tightened around him as her head returned to rest against him. A deep and contented sigh followed. "I love you, Yuzuru."

And she vanished from his arms.

Yuzuru allowed himself a short huff of amusement, finding himself alone again in yet another afterlife. And, once again, the sun appeared to be setting, leaving the room aglow in ever deepening shades of fiery amber. Things didn't seem quite as hopeless as they had the last time.

He wondered how long it would take him to find her. He wondered just how much he would remember this time around. Who could really say? That all seemed to be part of the experience of living.

Yuzuru turned to look out of the window, noting with a smile the simple, glorious end to the day, and the luminous incandescent orb of light which rose away to the skies above.

He watched that orb until it vanished from sight.

"I'm coming, Kanade." He whispered towards the sky.

The infirmary returned to an empty silence as the sun vanished beneath the horizon.

-o-O-o-

**Epilogue**

**Author's Note: **Yes, I know, I know. That most likely isn't all that you were hoping for from this story. But my intent was only to cover from just before that tantalising endgame from the series where Kanade and Yuzuru are about to meet again, to the point just after their first kiss. For me, that is where the richest pickings for a story lie. And, whilst I was never going to fully address the after story of their life together, I wanted to show that it was my intent for their lives to be long and happy together.

I hope you enjoyed this first book. The second will be along in due course, so if you'd like to see what happens next, watch this space. For anybody who hasn't yet figured out where I'm going with this, each "book" is going to cover a different lifetime – a different scenario for Kanade and Yuzuru to meet, and then to explore how things unfold. It won't always be fluffy and warm. But I'm hoping it will always be unique, fun, and at the very least meaningful. And above all else, a good read.

To address a couple of questions, yes – I intend to include the other characters as things progress. I think this story would be far less were I to leave them out. And yes, I'm still looking for a Beta. If you feel you're up to it, drop me a line.

Finally, thank you for reading. This story has proven far more popular than I'd expected. As I write this there are twenty-two favourites and seventeen people following my progress making it my most popular work to date. And I'm most definitely flattered by each and every encouraging review.

Thank you all.

For everything.

And on to the next…

NKC


	8. Book 2: Ch 1: Weddings and Birthday Cake

**Author's Note: **Welcome to the beginning of book number two, and a new beginning. If you've made it this far then I can only presume that you've read the first book in this series. If not, I'm frankly amazed you've leapt straight in at this point, and I can't guarantee that everything which follows will make complete sense.

This is a new incarnation for everybody involved, and this lifetime follows on from the previous book's storyline. There will be similar themes, such as past memories and lingering emotions, but the plot is entirely different. I'm not going to go into any more detail because I want to give _nothing _away.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy. And please remember to let me know what you think.

Thank you.

NKC

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Chapter 1: Weddings and Birthday Cake**

Yuzuru stood in silence besides his friend Hinata, a glass of champagne in his hand, eyes sweeping the room slowly taking in the faces all around. Every single pair of eyes present looked back at him, a mixture of emotions on display from each and every one. It was strange, to think that it had come down to this. It was a situation he had never imagined himself in, a responsibility that had come along so unexpectedly, though he didn't regret accepting it for even a moment.

Looking back now, in a way it all sort of made sense. But wasn't hindsight always twenty-twenty?

The anticipated discomfort that generally came with being the centre of attention was surprisingly absent, which was something of a relief in Yuzuru's mind. But then, he did know almost nine tenths of the one hundred or so guests spread around the function hall – hell, he knew _everybody _currently seated at the main table at which he currently stood.

There was minor trepidation, maybe one or two butterflies in his stomach at what he was about to undertake, but he managed to keep it well under control. If he could talk to each of these people individually then there was nothing to put him off talking to them collectively.

And now they all waited for him to make the next move, looking on with baited breath.

Yuzuru took a moment to look down to his right, at his currently sitting blue-haired friend. Hinata looked back up at him with a sly, knowing smirk. Further over, to Hinata's immediate right, Yui's pink-eyed wonderment was also directed straight at Yuzuru, though her friendly, happy smile showed him that she was simply – and eagerly - looking forwards to whatever it was that he'd prepared to come next.

She looked a true vision in the long, flowing white dress she currently wore – though she'd well and truly done away with the veil and once again had her hair in her trademark style, horns and all. At least she'd taken the time to make sure they were also white, though Yuzuru fully suspected that the Yui-esque devil's tail resided somewhere beneath the folds of her frock.

Hinata, clearing his throat unobtrusively, drew back Yuzuru's attentions and he offered his orange-haired friend a wink,

It was time to begin.

Yuzuru once again looked around at the familiar faces in the oversized function room and took a carefully drawn breath.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, his voice loud and commanding, travelling readily to every receptive ear in the room, "Thank you for coming here today. I'm sure none of us expected this debacle to go off without a single hitch."

There was a fleeting wave of light-hearted laughter which moved through the room. Hinata punched Yuzuru lightly on the arm, though it wasn't intended as more than a symbolic gesture. Even Yui had laughed.

Yuzuru carried on, unbidden, "I think it's only fair to say that if I'd realised ten years ago that this would happen, I would've introduced the bride to the groom much, much sooner – let's face it, Hideki could've done with being straightened out long before he ever got to college."

Yuzuru could almost _hear_ Hinata rolling his eyes.

"Although," Yuzuru conceded, "I never could tell if Yui was trying to get closer to him or just trying to kill him."

"A-men!" somebody from the back of the room bellowed, eliciting a chuckle from the whole contingent. Yuzuru raised his glass knowingly, "Thanks Noda!"

Yuzuru couldn't help but notice Yui's left hand make its way onto the table, seeking out and coming to rest atop the back of Hinata's own, which he turned over so they were palm to palm, their fingers entwining. The ring on Yui's finger caught the bright lights from overhead, making it twinkle.

"Frankly," Yuzuru went on, looking down at the pair of them admonishingly, "I'm amazed either of you made it this far."

Yui simply stuck out her tongue at him.

"Still, when I found out Yui was finally going to get this poor sap in chains-"

"Hey!"

"-and I realised my poor old friend was truly and _willingly_ doomed, and Hinata here asked me to be his best man, it did make me wonder…" he pretended to think for a moment, taking on a contemplative stance, tapping his chin with his finger, "Will there be free champagne at the reception?" there were a few chuckles when Yuzuru began to inspect his glass, "Not a complete waste of time, then.

"But in all seriousness, everybody here knows – as certainly as I do – that these two have what it takes between them to make this work. Knowing them both for as long as I have, there's not a doubt in my mind that they're perfect for each other. And I hope, setting aside the physical abuse they _still _dish out on one-another, that their years are many, and filled with the joy and happiness they both deserve."

Yuzuru lifted his glass of champagne skywards, turning and extending it towards Yui and Hideki in a toast, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please raise your glass for the bride and groom!"

-o-O-o-

"I hope you realise that speech was truly awful, man." Hinata leaned imposingly on Yuzuru's shoulder, weighing him down to the point that he was almost lopsided, "You're a terrible speech-writer, Otonashi."

Yuzuru chuckled, elbowing his friend firmly in the ribs to push him away, "I don't know… Mrs Hinata seemed to appreciate it."

Hinata rubbed at the spot where the elbow had impacted his ribs, strumming them to make sure no damage had been done despite the low throb he felt, "Yeah, but we all know she's crazy."

"You're a moron." Yui retorted from his side, poking him firmly in the precise spot where he'd been elbowed.

Yuzuru chuckled into his champagne glass, savouring the sweet taste as he took a sip. He knew there was no way the pair's banter would ever change – but then, it was one of the cornerstones of their relationship. The love-hate they'd always shown each other had eventually evolved into simple, straightforward love. And now, ten years after Yuzuru had first introduced them to one-another, and three years after admitting how they both truly felt, their life-long commitment to torment each other (lovingly, of course) had finally begun.

"Well, I thought it was funny." Yuri, having stepped through several clustered groups of party guests to return to the head table, seated herself heavily besides where the trio were stood talking and lifting half a glass of sparkling wine to her lips, "You made me laugh, Otonashi."

"It was all from the heart."

"Although…" Hinata started, "There is one thing we _are _forgetting."

Yuzuru raised a questioning eyebrow, unable to think of a single thing they'd omitted from the proceedings. The ceremony was well and truly over. The best man speech had been made. The cake had been cut. What more was there to do?

There was a brief commotion off to one side of the hall, the various crowds of people parting to let a small delegation gain access to the table. There, leading the pack, was Igarashi – a small, circular cake topped with white icing and a large number of candles in his hands – flanked on either side by Iwasawa and TK to make sure nobody accidentally bumped into the cake-bearer.

Yuzuru had to wonder what was going on.

"Did you think we'd forgotten, buddy?" Hinata's mischievous smirk was audible in his tone.

As Igarashi placed the cake on the table in front of the best man, some of the candles almost flickering out due to the motion, Yuzuru realised exactly what was going on.

"Hinata, my birthday isn't for two weeks…" Yuzuru frowned, "You didn't have to do this at your own wedding."

"Nonsense," the blue-haired man waved a hand dismissively, "It was Yui's idea, and I went along with it. We're going to be on our honeymoon when your birthday comes. So we wanted to get the celebrations in before we went. And, since everybody you know is here…"

Yuzuru couldn't help but notice that his entire circle of friends had congregated around the table – even Hatsune, who had been at the far side of the room with her own fiancée throughout most of the actual function, had made her way to the front.

"…We figured we'd do it in style. See if you can blow out all twenty-seven candles."

There was a collective chuckle as Yuzuru rolled his eyes. He had to admit that it was a thoughtful gift, even if he did believe it wasn't the most appropriate time to spring the surprise on him. Leaning across the cake and taking in the deepest breath he could muster, he tried to blow out as many of the candles as he could. The puff of air he let loose was truly spectacular, the candles flickering one after another in an ever-expanding wave before extinguishing themselves in a puff of smoke.

Suspiciously, the very middle candle at the back reignited itself.

Yuzuru frowned, looking around at his group of friends, each one of them adorning a knowing smirk. They all _knew _this was coming, but which one of them had been responsible, "Alright, who's the wise-ass?"

Every set of eyes present at the table turned to regard Hinata, who managed to take on an indignant expression, looking almost wounded. He knew very well that he was the natural suspect – the tricks he and Yuzuru had pulled on one-another over the years had ranged from devious to pure out-and-out hilarity – so in a way he couldn't really blame them. But this time… this time he was innocent.

Yui, still standing beside her new husband, seemed to be the only person there even managing to look genuinely innocent. But there was no way Hinata was going to allow that to slide, "It was Yui's idea!"

"Hey!" she protested, jabbing Hinata in the rib cage again with a pointed finger, "Traitor."

He simply stuck his tongue out at her, eliciting a giggle from the pinkette.

"So," Yuzuru started, glaring at the single still-burning candle, "do I still get a wish?"

"I think we can ignore that last candle." Hatsune chuckled from her spot amidst the onlookers. She clasped her hands together meaningfully, "Time for the presents!"

"You guys brought presents?"

"Sure did!" Igarashi turned to TK, who revealed that he'd been holding a large black polythene bag behind his back. He lifted it onto the table, placing it in front of Yuzuru and offering a two-fingered salute. The sound it made as it came to rest atop the table made it sound like it was fairly heavy.

"Kiss you, dude."

"Erm… Okay?" Yuzuru doubted he would ever fully understand the permanently bandana-clad man.

"Go on!" Yui chirped excitedly, both arms currently wrapped around Hinata's arm and pulling him down as she bounced on the spot. Had she been drinking rocket fuel instead of the champagne? "Open them!"

With a sigh of resignation Yuzuru nodded, taking hold of the black polythene and pulling the top of it open with both hands. He shivered for a moment, finding the feel of the plastic material as discomforting as ever. He'd never been able to stand the stuff, but he couldn't very well refuse his own birthday gifts.

"There's nothing fragile in there." Yuri rose up from her seat, taking a closer look even though she already knew full well what was to be found inside, "Just tip it onto the table."

With a shrug, Yuzuru reached for the bottom of the bag, pulling on the lower seam and tipping the entire contents onto the table top. The strangest mix of items that he'd seen in a long, long time tumbled free and spread themselves out.

The largest object by far was a large hiking backpack, made entirely from some thick, durable black material and supported with a metal frame.

"That's from me." Hinata offered, "You know, in case you want to do any _serious _hiking."

"O… kay." Not that he wasn't grateful, but it was a strange gift for Hinata to have bought him. Yuzuru did like to go on long walks, but a backpack of this size was better-suited to lengthy camping expeditions spread out across days rather than mere hours. There had to be enough room for about a fortnight's worth of clothes in the main part of the pack alone, including all the appropriate travel toiletries and other supplies.

Yuzuru's eyes also caught sight of a glossy little bound notebook, complete with suitably stylised writing pen. He picked them both up to have a closer look. The pages of the book, he noted as he flipped through, were fine-lined but devoid of any writing. But the inside of the front cover was printed with the word "Journal" in large apparently gilded letters.

"That's from me!" Yui chirped in.

Yuzuru's eyes cast across the rest of the table-top's contents – an oversized bottle of factor thirty sun screen, a large hand-held compass, a seemingly out-of-place English phrasebook and dictionary which looked like it had already seen a fair bit of use, a pack of eighteen condoms…

Looking around at the faces of his friends and family he gave them a questioning look. This was the strangest collection of gifts he'd ever received in his life, and he couldn't pick out any particular theme from them all.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, guys…" he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously – he didn't want to appear ungrateful, "But… What is this all for?"

It was Hatsune who stepped forwards, holding out an envelope to her elder brother with a smile, "This one isn't just from me." She explained softly as he took it from her, "This is from everybody."

Yuzuru was still confused. Hoping that an explanation was forthcoming, he took the envelope carefully from her, sliding a finger under the gummed lip of the envelope and running it along the entire length, leaving it serrated and open. Taking a peek inside, he was completely flummoxed by what he found there – a plane ticket, a foreign-currency card, and an information pamphlet for a resort he recognised immediately.

"It's a…"

"Holiday." Hatsune nodded, beaming, "We know you've always wanted to go. This is a treat from all of us: two activity filled weeks in the tropical paradise of your dreams!"

"Wow…" Yuzuru was left genuinely speechless, a lump of sorts rising into his throat. It certainly wasn't a cheap gift. They must all have contributed something to the costs, "I don't know what to say…"

"'Thank you' traditionally works." Yui offered helpfully with a sarcastic smirk.

"Thank you." Yuzuru's bowed response was anything but sarcastic – genuine gratitude was all he felt. This really had been his dream for a long, long time, "Thank you so much!"

Hinata patted a hand on his friend's upper back, and adding an affable squeeze of his shoulder for good measure, "We know you've always wanted to go. And, well, Hatsune and Yui came up with the idea. After all you've done for Yui and me, how could _I_ say no?"

Yui nodded in firm agreement, "He's right. If it hadn't been for you, I'd never have met this moron."

"Hey!" Hinata protested with a disgruntled frown. He was met with a mirthful giggle from Yui – he knew full well she wasn't trying to be insulting; she was succeeding gloriously at it, as she always did. And he'd never want that to change, his feigned hurt feelings aside. He loved every minute of it.

"Or married him." Yui added teasingly, "So we owe you. Plus it's your birthday, so, you know…"

Hatsune stepped up beside her brother, her hand coming to rest on his other shoulder, "Time to live out some of your dreams for a change."

Surprisingly it was Yuri who startled everybody by lifting a glass into the air and declaring loudly, "Three cheers for Otonashi! Hip-hip!"

Nobody hesitated as they cheered on their friend, "Hooray!"

Yuzuru felt more than misty-eyed as he and his friends celebrated the day.

-o-O-o-

The taxi ride Yuzuru had taken to the airport had to have been one of the scariest undertakings he'd ever endured in his life – and that was including the time he and Hinata had played the old bucket-of-water-balanced-on-a-door trick on Yuri when they'd all been in college, and the violent, remorseless aftermath/massacre which had followed the incident. Somehow, miraculously, they'd both survived – perhaps a little bit wiser. Marginally.

As the taxi raced at almost twice the speed limit, weaving from one lane to another without any sign of care or hesitation, the driver spending about as much time looking back over his shoulder and talking at his pale-faced, terrified fare as he did watching the road, Yuzuru wondered if he'd actually survive the journey as far as the airport.

"Must be nice, man, getting away for a bit." The driver declared in a non-native accent which Yuzuru couldn't quite place.

"Yeah…" Yuzuru kept his reply as short and non-committal as he possibly could, hoping the man would drop the conversation and concentrate instead on driving the car. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working.

"Where you going, mate?"

"Hawaii."

"Oh!" the man declared, turning his entire torso so that he was facing backwards, only one hand loosely gripping the wheel. Yuzuru began to pray for his own survival, not that it would do much good…

"America." The man went on, "I spent five years in the US. That was New York, though. Got fed up with all the crazy drivers, ya know?"

"I can only imagine…" Yuzuru spoke through gritted teeth.

"Hawaii, though. Different kettle of fish entirely."

The car flew under a series of signposts which showed the airport as accessible via the next left off-ramp, though the driver offered no indication that he'd actually seen them.

"We're going to miss our turnoff." Yuzuru pointed urgently towards the junction.

Finally, the man returned to a forward facing position, "Oh, right."

Yuzuru was tossed violently against the window, almost crushed by his backpack as the man flung the wheel with unnecessary force, cutting across two lanes of traffic to reach the exit. How they avoided colliding with the cars in those lanes Yuzuru had no idea, but the drivers still aired their displeasure with several loud blares of their horns.

Once again Yuzuru prayed for his own survival. At least the airport was in sight.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru's legs were like jelly when he finally stepped out of the taxi, and it took all of his willpower and co-ordination to make it into the terminal building without toppling over. He breathed a huge sigh of relief, like a seasick mariner who'd spent months at sea and was finally back on dry land. He thanked whichever gods had protected him on the journey for their kind oversight, and made a mental note to sacrifice a beer or two in their honour at a later date.

Now, he needed to find his departure gate.

According to the barely-readable text on his ticket it was gate seven that he needed, and thanks to the well-signposted terminal building itself it didn't take him all that long to find it. The check-in desk was one of the airport's smaller ones, presumably for the less well-travelled long-haul flights such as the one he was about to embark on, and the seating area seemed duly proportioned for about two hundred passengers, though the slightly haggard red upholstered seats didn't look particularly welcoming. Nor comfortable.

The desk itself was occupied by a familiar face, however. And Yuzuru had to admit, the white and navy colours of the uniform seemed surprisingly suited to its wearer – though the black hairband and trademark green bow were still present, adding that personalised touch.

"Hey Yurippe." Yuzuru approached the desk, setting his bag heavily on the floor by his feet.

Yuri instantly looked up from whatever it was that she'd been typing, "Otonashi?" a wan smile spread slowly across her lips, "You're a bit early, aren't you?"

Yuzuru nodded with a mildly amused chuckle, "Yeah… Feels like I took a rocket rather than a taxi."

"Ah." She nodded understandingly, "Six-Six-Six Taxis, right?"

Yuzuru's nod was emphatic. He was sure the memories of _that _particular journey would haunt him all the way into therapy.

"Yeah. They're all lunatics. Best avoided."

"I'll try to remember that in future." He added drily.

"So," Yuri reached out with one hand towards Yuzuru and offered her best professional yet friendly smile, "Tickets and passport please, Sir."

Yuzuru couldn't hold in his smirk, and he fished his documents out of his pocket, handing them to her for closer inspection.

The sound of rapid typing filled the air as Yuri checked him onto the passenger list – she didn't once look at the actual ticket itself, knowing already all the details, as she'd been the one to book the flight for him in the first place – and at a considerable rate of discount to boot. But she still had to go through the motions.

She held the passport open so she could compare the details there to what her screen was telling her, and looked at the photo to compare it to Otonashi, "Yeah, I'd say this looks like you…"

Yuzuru stuck out his tongue and contorted his face a bit, "How about now?"

"No theatrics please, Sir. Or I'll have to call security."

Yuri's face was deadpan, and for a moment Yuzuru couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, "We wouldn't want that…"

But her professionalism soon cracked, revealing a grin. There was a resounding beep from her computer, and she handed his documents back to him, "Thank you, Sir. If you'd like to take a seat, boarding will be in about an hour."

This was it, Yuzuru realised as he picked up his bag. The beginning of a new adventure.

He could hardly wait.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 1: **Weddings and Birthday Cake**  
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	9. Book 2: Ch 2: Cupid's Arrow?

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Chapter 2: Cupid's Arrow?**

As the bellhop unlocked the door and led the way into the room, somehow managing to carry a large luggage trunk without any problems, Yuzuru couldn't believe his eyes. The cavernous chamber, complete with fine furnishings and ornate decoration, was far more than he'd been expecting. Sure, the hotel had appeared grand from the outside, and the wide, long hallways and spacious express elevators boasted of the luxury on offer all the way from the lobby to the door of his room.

But this, inside, seemed better suited to royalty than a mere pauper such as himself. His friends must've really gone all-out to get their hands on tickets to this resort.

A large emperor-sized bed dominated the centre of the main room, the bright white and swathe of oceanic blues which governed the bedspread offering a stark contrast to the faux-terracotta tiling of the floor. To Yuzuru's right there was a half-opened door, presenting a tantalising glimpse of the almost clinically white fitments of the luxurious bathroom suite, a sizeable bathtub just visible in the hazy reflection of the stunningly white tiled wall.

Beside that door, fitted wardrobes filled the wall all the way to the window, with an alcove built in to house the sizeable flat-screen TV – not that Yuzuru envisioned himself being in the room long enough to actually _watch_ the thing.

But the feature which drew his attention the most, pulling him into the room like a moth to a flame, were the floor-to-ceiling glass doors which looked out over the resort itself, the not-too-distant pale sandy beach down below, and the paradise of translucent turquoise ocean which lay beyond. There, through those doors, was a modest balcony complete with two deckchairs and a small drinks table.

Yuzuru didn't even try to resist the temptation, passing straight through the room and out through those doors to overlook the glorious Eden below.

"How long are you with us, Sir?" the bellhop's voice reached his ears just as he peered over the balcony's edge.

"Two weeks." Yuzuru replied absently, absorbing the view before him in wide-eyed wonderment. The basking heat of the sun high above the resort and the otherwise-stifling humidity that was legendary in this part of the world were easily forgotten in light of that glorious utopia below, the demonstration incarnate of what could be achieved when the best of man-made luxury worked in co-operation with the most astonishing fruits that nature herself had to offer.

"Ah, the activity package." The bellhop's voice drew Yuzuru once more back to the luxuriant hotel room; he'd almost forgotten in those few instances that he wasn't alone. He turned to face the uniform-clad man – it was amazing that in the sticky heat the young attendant wasn't himself caked and sodden with a heated sweat. Perhaps he was simply used to it?

"Most of our guests are here for that." He went on.

"Really?" Yuzuru's eyebrow cocked reflexively – that revelation came as a bit of a surprise. The hotel itself was most definitely renowned for its world-class facilities and boasted a nigh-unparalleled reputation throughout the globe for the activity packages it had to offer. But all of that paled in comparison to the island on which it was situated, itself sporting a literally centuries-old standing as a tropical retreat, "I would've thought on an island like this most people came for the sun, sea and sand."

The young man seemed to wave his hand almost dismissively at the idea, but the welcoming smile – no doubt well-trained and rehearsed by most of the hotel's staff – didn't falter for even a moment, "Some do. But this resort is supposed to have it 'all'."

A few brief moments of silence passed between the two, and Yuzuru wasn't entirely sure if there was some local custom that he was overlooking before the bellhop would leave. Offering the man a tip, perhaps? Or some formal means of dismissal?

But it was the bellhop who eventually broke the silence, "Do you have any plans, Sir?"

"Hmm." Yuzuru had to think for a moment. He hadn't really laid out an itinerary, a couple of cursory flips through the resort brochure on the way over from the airport to get to grips with the activities on offer notwithstanding. There were a couple of pursuits he was eager to try out, but he wanted to read into them a little bit more before committing to anything. He did realise, however, that before him was standing a local who would no doubt possess a far more intimate knowledge of what the hotel had to proffer than even the brochure could lay claim to. To not ask him would've been a wasted opportunity, so Yuzuru decided to seize it whilst he could, "Nothing set in stone. What would you recommend?"

"Well," the man seemed to frown in a moment of deep thought, his brow creasing and his eyebrows somehow closing the small gap between one-another to form a rather impressive unibrow, "if you're an early riser, I'd suggest getting the more popular activities out of the way in the morning, before they get fully booked up. Jet ski, power boating, and the like are usually big sell-outs."

Water-related activities. With his mind harking back to the spectacular view he'd taken in of the beautiful, near-crystal green and blue hues of the ocean, Yuzuru didn't find the popularity of the water sports all that surprising. But in all honesty, as fun as they sounded, he wanted something a little bit more relaxing to fill the next day or two – if only to help him get over the mild jetlag that had begun to set in.

"You know, I'm here to relax." Yuzuru offered a genuine smile, "Those don't sound very relaxing."

The man's white-gloved hand rose thoughtfully to his chin, the deep frown returning for a moment as he put some more thought – possibly much more than was actually needed, Yuzuru began to wonder - into the apparent quandary, "We do have a world famous spa here, Sir." He offered in concession.

Yuzuru chuckled lightly, imagining himself in a warm, mud-filled bath, complete with face pack and cucumber slices over each eye, eventually dozing off and sinking into the grey-brown depths never to resurface, "Maybe a bit too relaxed."

"Well, there are always other things to try." There was a brief pause as the man seemed to mull over the options, "Hiking is popular, guided or free to roam. You can't really get lost here, because you'll hit the water after a couple of miles at most. But you'd also miss most of the sights if a guide isn't there to point them out. And our shooting and archery instructors are second to none."

"Archery?" Yuzuru raised an eyebrow in curious inquisition. Archery was one of those things in life that he'd always thought it would be fun to try, but he had actually been given precious little opportunity to try. No doubt there were archery clubs and the like back home, but he'd never really looked into it.

"Yes Sir." The bellhop nodded in affirmation.

"I've always wanted to try that." Yuzuru put word to his thoughts. Presumably the resort provided all the equipment – there couldn't be that many people who came to the island with their _own_ gear. Then again, if the sport truly was as popular here as the bellhop was suggesting, maybe there were people who did precisely that? Though it must've been a challenge to explain _that _on the way through customs.

Heavens help anybody who brought their own weapons for the shooting range.

"There you go then, Sir." The bellhop gave a courteous bow before turning to leave, his job done and being fairly certain that the conversation was indeed over.

Yuzuru called after him with gracious thanks, "Thank you for the suggestions."

"Any time, Sir." The door swung quietly shut behind him, closing with a gentle click.

Donning a smile, Yuzuru decided to settle into his room.

-o-O-o-

By around ten in the morning the hotel had served up a rather generous breakfast buffet. The main meal had to be ordered and held a fixed price, but any sides like toast, croissants or fruit were free to take as wanted. Even the drinks were bottomless, which was always a bonus. Afterwards, Yuzuru had taken one of the resort map pamphlets from the reception desk in the hotel lobby.

As it turned out, the resort was much larger than he'd initially thought. The company which ran the hotel not only owned the building itself, but several kilometres of pristine beachfront and a fair bit of unspoiled woodland and open grass on the inland side of the building. It gave plenty of scope for just about any activity, from hiking to horse-riding. Holiday makers could spend their time roaming the shallow waters on a jet ski, or simply sunning themselves on the pale sandy beaches.

It wasn't difficult to place why the resort was so popular.

In the end, it turned out that the archery range was actually down on the beachfront, about a five minute walk away from the main hotel beach and seafront, well out of the way of any other hubs of activity, no doubt to abate any safety risks to anybody who happened to venture by.

As Yuzuru rounded the beach, his destination cut off from view by an outcropping of the indigenous sub-tropical woodland, forming something of a miniature headland in the larger bay, he soon heard the familiar sounds of arrows slicing through the air, reaching their targets with a resounding and wooden twang.

When the range finally came directly into sight the very first thing Yuzuru noticed was that there seemed to be significantly more people watching than actually taking part, with several of the targets standing vacant. Each one had an equipment trunk besides where the archer was intended to stand, the top end of the bow and threshed end of numerous arrows visible from the open top.

The instructors were easy enough to spot, standing out with their bright yellow polo shirts and baseball caps, each embroidered with the resort's logo in a fine red stitch. Of course, the huge smile that one of them offered when they noticed Yuzuru looking around curiously didn't do much to conceal the fact either.

"Hello Sir!" the red-eyed young man greeted him, his tussled green-tinged hair setting his cap at an odd angle atop his head, greeted warmly, "Are you here to watch, or would you like to try your hand at it?"

"Erm…" Yuzuru began uncertainly, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous grin, "I'd like to try, but I've never done this before."

The instructor's eyes seemed to instantly light up, his smile spreading so wide it seemed almost maniacal, "Not to worry, Sir! We have an excellent instruction program for beginners. Just come this way!"

Before Yuzuru could so much as protest the man had him firmly by the arm, dragging him forcefully away from the range towards a small open-walled wood hut set a little back into the treeline behind the range. Yuzuru wondered how he hadn't noticed until now.

"This won't take long."

-o-O-o-

Nearly an hour later, having endured what had to have been one of the longest, driest faux-educational wastes of time he'd ever been forced to watch, Yuzuru was non-the-wiser regarding how to _actually_ use a bow and arrow. The man in the video, obviously an actor with little to no experience – and a strangely distracting lisp to boot – had spent plenty of time on the various points of do and do not (do not aim at people. Yeah, no kidding…) but no time on the actual technical side of things.

But, the instructor obviously felt it was enough because the instant the video's credits had flashed across the screen, he'd once again grabbed Yuzuru by the arm and was dragging him intently back towards the range, over to one of the vacant targets, forcing the bow and an arrow into his hand with gusto.

Yuzuru hesitated for a moment whilst the instructor looked on expectantly. Looking at the bow in one hand and then up to the target, Yuzuru swallowed with a slow gulp, feeling an undue degree of pressure being placed on his shoulders without any real reason.

He took a moment or two to observe the other archers, trying to note how they held their bows, one arm outstretched, the other supporting the arrow between two fingers and drawing the line taut. A resounding twang, a brief flit of flight time, and the loud _thunk_ of the arrowhead piercing the target and the whole thing was over.

It didn't look too difficult.

With a slight shrug Yuzuru lifted the bow, taking aim as he lined up his arrow. He wasn't convinced that his aim was right, having never attempted this before, and he knew that his lack of experience must be obvious when the instructor finally deigned to speak up.

"Aim a little over your target. The arrow will travel in an arc."

_No kidding… _Yuzuru added drily in thought.

But, he acceded to follow the advice of somebody he _presumed_ was an expert, so he lifted the bow a little higher to give the arrow more altitude. The whole contraption was a bit heavier than he'd expected and he could feel the weight burning slowly into the bicep of his leading arm.

"Now, draw the bow back _slowly_…"

The taut string was much more resistant than he'd expected too, and it took considerable effort for him to pull what he considered enough tension into it so that the arrow would actually fly. After a moment of firm straining both of his arms began to shake and waver slightly.

"Now, take your time and aim carefully." The instructor went on, "Readjust your stance if need be; best foot forwards."

With a slight nod and a deep breath drawn through clenched teeth, Yuzuru moved to take a few steps backwards, allowing himself a bit more room to manoeuvre. What he didn't expect, however, was the slight depression in the sand that his trailing foot suddenly slipped into.

The sudden yelp of surprise as his foot fell further than he'd anticipated signalled his sudden loss of balance. Reflexively his arms jerked, his grip on the bow and the arrow failing in rapid succession. With a flit, the arrow was released, the aim wildly off.

In a moment of panic Yuzuru realised what he'd done – fired his arrow directly towards a group of half a dozen spectators off to the side of the range.

"Watch out!" he cried in an all-too-late warning.

Five sixths of the crowd got the message and made a near instantaneous dive for cover. But as each of them moved, parting right down the middle, a short, silvery-haired girl came into view from the back of the group. Either she wasn't aware of what was happening, or she simply didn't hear the warning.

The arrow was heading straight for her.

But she did notice the sudden reaction of the people around her, a brief flash of startled bewilderment passing through wide, auric eyes. It was a moment of hesitation that she could ill afford, and Yuzuru found himself unable to watch, clamping down his eyelids with a tight wince of dreaded anticipation.

He heard the collective gasp of everybody who had been brave – or perhaps morbid – enough to continue watching the spectacle, but the expected cry of pain never came.

With all the will he could muster, he forced his eyes to open again. He'd expected to see the poor girl laid prone on the sand, effulgent silver locks tussled in unwitting discord and torso stained with the crimson of her own blood – though vivid, Yuzuru didn't much appreciate the gruesome picture his imagination was painting.

But what he actually saw - and the clear source of the crowd's amazement - was the girl standing there with an incredibly focussed expression on her face, hands clasped tightly together in what could almost have been prayer. The fact that she was still standing was remarkable enough, but once Yuzuru finally came to notice the focal point of her intense concentration, he didn't know whether to feel astonishment or disbelief.

There between her palms, held steady two thirds of the way from the head to the fletching, was the arrow.

Yuzuru almost forced himself to do a double take – how was that even possible?

Snapping out of his amazement a fraction of a moment later – a swift but certain shake of the head dispelling the last of his distraction – he quickly stepped forwards, breaking into a quick trot as he approached the girl.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yuzuru began tentatively once he was within comfortable earshot.

The girl didn't seem to notice him as he approached her, both her intense stare and her complete attention focussed entirely upon the arrow between her palms. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly.

She was in shock.

"Hey," Yuzuru stopped short of invading her personal space, but remained close enough to be noticed, "Are you okay?"

The girl seemed to blink at last, her unmoving eyes wavering for a moment before looking up and meeting his gaze. He heard her release her breath – had she been holding it all this time? – and blinked, her expressionless countenance revealing absolutely no emotion to Yuzuru's concerned overtures.

The silence was heavy and awkward as she simply looked at him, unmoving.

Yuzuru rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, uncertain as to how he should proceed – was there a standard etiquette when interacting with somebody you'd almost shot with an arrow, "So, um…" he began with a falter, "those are some impressive reflexes you've got."

Even to his own ears that sounded lame, and he mentally scolded himself for it. Maybe he would've been better just apologising and avoiding getting into this awkward moment in the first place? Oh well, damage done now…

"It was a fluke." The girl's strangely soft and mellifluous voice barely permeated the silence.

It took Yuzuru aback momentarily, amazed that her tone was even and unwavering. Whatever emotional barrier she'd raised, it was clearly quite strong – Yuzuru wasn't at all convinced that had their situations been reversed, he would've been so level and calm. Indeed, he was absolutely certain that he would've been fuming if he'd been in her shoes.

But even so, despite her clearly visible unflappable mien, something didn't seem quite right.

Yuzuru looked her straight in the eye, those fathomless auriferous depths a complete and utter mystery. Though they sparkled, though they seemed to almost burrow down into his very soul, they remained thoroughly and irrefutably unreadable.

He gave up trying to figure her out. Instead, his attention fell back to the arrow between her palms, still held fast and unmoving, save for the gentle quiver of her hands.

"Are you okay?"

At long last she blinked, looking down at the arrow herself. A shallow frown momentarily flashed across her face, vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. Whatever was troubling her in that brief instance must have been deigned insignificant. When she looked up at him again her expression was once again unreadable.

Clasping the arrow suddenly by the shaft, Yuzuru was taken aback when the silvery-haired girl held out the projectile towards him, "This is yours." She insisted.

Filled with uncertainty, Yuzuru accepted it from her, careful not to cut his hand on the sharp-pointed head. He couldn't help but notice the bright red friction burn running all the way across her palm as she released the wooden missile into his own hand.

"I'm so sorry…" Yuzuru offered meekly.

She inclined her head slightly to one side, as if trying to size him up. The few drawn-out moments of silence dripped with a nervous tension on Yuzuru's part, still expecting her to erupt into anger or outrage at any moment.

Instead, she remained calm and collected, "It's alright."

Yuzuru simply blinked. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around just how nonchalant and dismissive she was being about the whole thing. Sure, he was pleased that she wasn't tearing him a new one – the embarrassment of being so lax in his archery skills, much less almost hitting a bystander, would be more than enough material for him to admonish _himself _for not being more careful.

And what made it worse was that she was clearly injured! Maybe not seriously, but it had to be painful. A little bit of outrage would have been expected, if not a welcome counsel to his guilt. But she wasn't even offering up that much in retort to his unintentional recklessness.

No, it didn't sit right with him. He had to set things right, if only insofar as making sure she received basic medical treatment for her wounds.

"No," Yuzuru insisted with firm resolve, "Let me at least escort you to first aid."

But still she chose to object to his overtures of recompense, "I'm fine."

Yuzuru's eyes once again fell upon the girl's palms, the angry red burns all but screaming out to him. It _had _to be throbbing now. Worse still, he was sure that there was a little blood.

There was no way that he was going to let _that_ go untended. Reaching forwards quickly, he grabbed the girl firmly by the wrists, feeling her reflexively tense up at his sudden lunge into her personal space. She looked up at him with wide-eyed surprise, but it quickly passed when he made no further move other than to turn her hands palm-skyward, her fight or flight instincts kept in check only by whatever remarkable control she held over her emotional composure.

Yuzuru made an exaggerated point of inspecting her hands in a way that she could also see, taking grim note of the slight gash in one palm – presumably where the arrow-head had made its impact, "You're bleeding. You need to get this looked at."

In such hot and humid conditions, any such wound could easily become infected, and that was something that Yuzuru _definitely _didn't want on his conscience.

When he released one of her hands, she'd half expected him to put a little distance between them. But she was more than a little surprised when his firm grip moved instead to encircle her wrist and began to pull her forwards. The gesture wasn't painful, his grip loose enough to avoid too much constriction, but was enough to ensure she couldn't refuse.

So she let him lead the way, this young man who had almost shot her, and now held her captive.

It was definitely going to be an unusual day.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 2: Cupid's Arrow?**


	10. Book 2: Ch 3: Of Sunsets and Twilight

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Chapter 3: Of Sunsets and Twilight**

The resort's "Medical Centre" turned out to be a squat, ugly little building located rather inconveniently at the far side of the hotel's main grounds. The distinctive grey breezeblock walls of the repugnant little hut thankfully set it aside from the rest of the resort's white-rendered buildings, so it was simple enough to find even with the most basic of instructions.

For all of its outward simplicity, the inside of the building stood in stark clinical contrast, white-tiled and spotless, with the acrid scent of strong disinfectant usually reserved for the most heinous of hospital wards. It was basic, but clearly well-equipped for all the usual resort first-aid issues – there was even an attending doctor on the resort's payroll, and he'd proven to be a very cheerful young fellow as he'd carefully disinfected the girl's wounded hands and then wrapped them in light bandage.

To Yuzuru's eyes, in-training as he was to be a doctor himself, the practicing clinician had followed the usual routines to the letter. A capable doctor, clearly, which set his own mind at ease.

"Let these air tonight if they haven't congealed fully." He'd instructed, "If they're still seeping in the morning come back to me for a fresh dressing."

And with that he'd sent them on their way.

The silence which descended as they walked felt awkward and uncomfortable to Yuzuru, though from the thoroughly unfathomable expression on the girl's face as she intently inspected her bandaged hands he wasn't entirely sure that she was even aware of his presence.

The level of detachment she seemed to have from the world around her struck Yuzuru as particularly odd, but it didn't come across as snobbish or aloof. It struck him more as an emotional shyness on her part, or maybe she really was as at peace with the world around her as the aura she projected implied.

Whatever it was, it was clear to Yuzuru that if anybody were to strike up a conversation, it would have to be him. Though getting through her absorbed interest in her own bandaged hands may prove to be something of a challenge.

"I feel so guilty about that." He broke into the silence at last, only just above a quiet whisper.

Much to Yuzuru's surprise, though she didn't turn to look at him, the girl replied in the same quiet tone, "You should. It was your fault."

The surprise at the directness of her response sent one of Yuzuru's eyebrows high up onto his puzzled brow – surprised that she'd actually heard him, or surprised that she'd deigned to reply was anybody's guess – and was quickly haunted by a shallow frown. Was she finally giving him the guilt trip that he'd expected earlier?

No, that wasn't quite it. Yuzuru couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was an undertone to her comment which left him feeling unsure about the whole thing. Could it be that she was actually teasing him?

"Yeah, well…" he nervously rubbed back of his head, "I'm just grateful it wasn't worse. When you caught that arrow… Wow."

"Yes." She stopped walking, dead in her tracks. Yuzuru came to a halt a couple of paces ahead of her, half turning to look back. For the first time since they'd left the doctor's office she lifted her face to meet his own eyes, "I surprised myself."

It was strange to hear the way her voice lightened at her last comment, as if she was actually pleased in some way. Managing to catch the arrow was a feat of absolutely astonishing reflex, whether she'd intended to actually catch it or not, and Yuzuru was more than willing to grant her full credit for that one – had he not seen it with his own eyes Yuzuru was certain he would never have believed it.

The guilt he felt over the whole situation wasn't something that was going to go away any time soon, though, and he knew that it would keep eating away at him unless this strangely reticent girl allowed him to make amends.

"So… Erm…" Yuzuru's uncertainly returned to the forefront of his mind as he tried to think of some way to set things right, "Is there any way I could… You know, make it up to you?"

"There's really no need." She insisted, much to his dismay. But he wasn't about to give up that easily.

"I'll feel bad about this."

"It's fine now." She held up her hands, as if to show him the bandages, "You don't need to worry."

"I'm not worried." Yuzuru confessed to her, "I'm feeling guilty."

Her insistence remained, however, completely unbidden, "You needn't."

"But I do. And I want to make it up to you!" Yuzuru's voice became more forceful. Her reluctance to let him atone was beginning to grate slightly on his nerves, and he _needed _her to understand that and relent.

There was an incredible sensation of relief when he seemed to finally make progress.

"You're not going to drop this, are you." She stated more than asked, keeping an intensely penetrating glare into his own eyes.

"Nope." Yuzuru's resolute determination reinforced his insistence, "Not a chance."

The girl seemed to consider for a moment, never once relinquishing her emotionally neutral expression, keeping up the potent guard that made her thoroughly unreadable, "Okay then." She began, "Make it up to me."

"Great!" a warming and earnest smile lit up Yuzuru's face, "How about dinner!"

The girl's nod was slow yet thoughtful, "Okay. Where, when?"

Yuzuru thought back to the itinerary that the resort had set out as a suggestion for popular activities; the various cafés, restaurants and eateries located around the island running through his mind. It wasn't difficult to settle on one, marked out as the most popular evening meal destination for holidaymakers looking for the five star treatment and a relaxing ambiance, "The beachfront restaurant. About seven?"

Chances are it would be busy, popular as it was. But there were supposedly enough tables and seating arrangements for everybody currently resident at the hotel. More-so for anybody who enjoyed their meals on the beach itself, out in the open-air. What could be more relaxing than going alfresco?

"Okay."

"Great!" Yuzuru was genuinely pleased, even if she did seem suddenly and inexplicably co-operative, "I'll see you then."

Yuzuru turned to leave, though he caught himself after half a pace as a realisation struck. He turned back to the girl, noticing that she had yet to move from the spot where she'd come to a stop.

"I almost forgot…" Yuzuru became somewhat abashed, "My name's Yuzuru. What's yours?"

"Kanade."

"Kanade…" he whispered, trying out the word. The feel of it upon his lips brought an unexpected warmth to his heart; it was beautiful, elegant.

It suited her perfectly.

And yet, at the same time, it felt strangely familiar…

With a smile and a slight bow Yuzuru excused himself. Kanade watched him with intent regard as he departed, trying to wrap her mind around the day she'd just had. Surely holidays were supposed to be relaxing? This was essentially a spa resort, all activities aside, and the chance for a little peace and quiet were what had drawn her there in the first place

It wasn't quite shaping up that way, though.

Looking down at her bandaged hands once more, Kanade let her mind wander back to the archery range and the events that had followed – specifically, the peculiar orange-haired Yuzuru.

"Strange." She thought aloud, to nobody in particular.

Very strange indeed.

-o-O-o-

It wasn't until about six forty-five that Yuzuru began to realise just how nervous he actually was. By six fifty-five he was so anxious that he considered just having a panic attack to get it all over with. His palms were sweating, his heart was fluttering in his chest, and he just couldn't bring himself to stop pacing the boardwalk which separated the front of the restaurant from the soft, pale sands of the beach.

He'd asked a girl out on a date – and worse, without realising that it was a date. Sure, his initial intention was to make amends for the pain, the injury he'd caused her. Treating her to a meal had seemed like the obvious and most sincere way to do it, even if there was actually very little recompence for the accident itself.

But he could've taken her somewhere else, maybe to a light lunch.

Meeting at seven in the evening, in a formal restaurant for a large multi-course meal, in the most romantic setting on the island?

There were no two ways about it; it was a date.

And now he felt seriously underdressed.

What if she turned up in formal attire? Most of the guests inside the restaurant and on the beachfront decking seemed dressed almost as if they were at a formal dinner party. In his unironed and creased brown shirt and simple dark slacks, Yuzuru seemed so casual that he could've drowned in an incoming tide of nonchalance.

For the twentieth time in the past two minutes Yuzuru inspected his watch.

"Is she late, Sir?"

Yuzuru turned around to regard the attendant at the restaurant's reception desk. The man, though clad in the black, gold-trimmed formal uniform of all the resort's up-market facilities, seemed to almost slouch lazily in a markedly unprofessional manner.

"What?" Yuzuru asked, then noticed the attendant was paying heed to the watch on his wrist, "No, I just-"

"Then please refrain from pacing, Sir." The man stood upright, returning to his full height, "The boardwalk won't tolerate much more of that abuse before it falls through."

Yuzuru began to grit his teeth as he tried to keep his temper in check. When he did reply to the man it was through a clenched jaw and laced with so much irritation that the words almost turned to acid on his tongue, "Just who in the hell do you-"

"Ah, look, Sir." The attendant rose to his tiptoes, clearly looking over Yuzuru's head, rudely dismissing him entirely, "Here comes a young lady now. Perhaps she's the one you're waiting for?"

An ire-filled growl was all Yuzuru could offer the man. It could well be Kanade – it must've been seven o'clock by now – though he still had to work to let his irritation fall away. As he turned around, though, the vision which greeted him turned his anger into instant amazement.

Approaching the restaurant entrance from the far end of the boardwalk she glided, as if walking on air, dressed in an exceptionally elegant strapless a-line evening dress. It conformed comfortably to the understated contours of her graceful frame, drawing subtle attention to a form which hadn't been overly apparent to Yuzuru during their prior meeting, gracing her with an air of dignified femininity that was unmistakably beautiful.

The satin sheen of the azure mist material danced in the warm golden orange of the slowly-setting sunlight which punctuated the pleasant summer evening, each gentle footfall placed ahead of the last enticing the floor-length material of the sleek garment into fluid motion as it cascaded gracefully off the curvature of her hips. The lustrous shimmer of her long, platinum hair as it fell back over her shoulders to its full, effusive length offered little in way of contrast to the graceful refine of the evening dress.

The entire ensemble seemed perfectly arranged and toned to draw full attention to the auric depths of her eyes, as calm yet radiantly bright as ever he'd seen them.

She was truly beautiful.

"Am I late?" Kanade asked softly as she came to a timid stop before Yuzuru.

Yuzuru's mind reeled, "Erm, no you're right on time." He looked at her once more, from head to toe, "You look… Wow."

An entirely unexpected blush filled her cheeks – had he broken through whatever emotionally resistant wall she usually kept erected with that last statement? – and looked down at the boardwalk between them.

"Thank you." She looked up again, the blush no less intense, "I didn't overdress, did I?"

"No, no!" Yuzuru insisted, perhaps a bit too adamantly, "You're…" his mind tried desperately to find a word from his vocabulary which would sum up the way she looked – did such a word actually exist? No one word could do her justice, surely?

"You're…" he tried again, but his mind just ground to a halt.

"I'm…?" the slightest hint of uncertainty broke into her voice in a waver.

"You're…" he confirmed, the pause thick and heavy, "Perfect."

-o-O-o-

The maître d led Yuzuru and Kanade through the jungle of widely-spaced tables strewn across the beachfront decking of the restaurant, escorting them to a small two-seated table located in the furthest corner away from the main building, where the floorboards gave way to long, wooden steps which led down onto the sandy beach.

Despite being as far away from the building as the decking would allow, the area was shaded by a cluster of overhanging palm-trees, their fronds dancing on the breeze no doubt a good source of shade during the daytime. As the setting sun half-vanished beyond the ocean horizon which the beach overlooked, a pair of waiters walked the perimeter of the boardwalk, each lighting candles cased in protective hurricane lamps that hung two apiece from either side of an ornately-crafted lamppost. The candles brought much to the ambiance of the restaurant's outer seating area, though provided little in the way of practical lighting – thankfully, the currently fairly dim electric light in the centre of each post offered up enough soft light to comfortably see by.

Yuzuru swallowed nervously – it was _definitely_ a date.

"Your table, Sir; Madame." The maître d stepped aside as he presented the table to them.

Doing the gentlemanly thing, Yuzuru pulled out one of the chairs for Kanade, her slight yet grateful bow offered in thanks as she accepted his gesture and took her seat. Yuzuru promptly followed, taking the seat opposite and settling himself into the table.

The waiter hesitated only a moment for the couple to get settled, a thin pencil poised patiently above a small notepad, "Would you care to order?"

Yuzuru gestured towards Kanade with one hand, a gentle smile warming his features, "Ladies first."

Kanade responded with a couple of rapid blinks before turning to look up at the waiter, her hands beneath the table straightening out the creases in her dress in an almost nervous fashion. "Can you make Mapo tofu?" she asked quietly.

"Certainly, Madame." His tone empowered yet comforting, a few quick scribbles of his pencil taking over where his voice left off, "And for the Sir?"

"I'd like the poached salmon salad, please."

A few more quick flicks of the pencil etched out the remainder of the order, "Very good, Sir." And the man quickly departed the table.

An awkward silence permeated the air around the table, descending like an oppressive fog. Yuzuru searched his mind for something to say; any way to strike up a conversation, but his mind kept drawing a blank. But then again, sitting across the table from the delicately majestic vision that was his dinner partner, it was a challenge to keep his mind focussed on anything at all. All of his senses seemed to tunnel in, forsaking their surroundings, compelled attentively to one person present and that one person alone.

From the blush filling out her cheeks, Kanade clearly knew that Yuzuru was looking at her, taking her in.

But then his eyes fell upon her hands, now resting atop the table, and admiration – even adoration – turned once more to guilt.

"I'm so sorry about your hands…" Yuzuru spoke, barely a whisper, at last looking away from her.

Now it was Kanade's turn to look up at him, the slightest of frowns pulling at the corner of her lips, "I wish you'd stop apologising." She admonished with a sigh.

Looking up and meeting her disapproving gaze, the word managed to escape Yuzuru's lungs before he could even think of restraining it. "Sorry…"

Kanade's frown only intensified further.

Rubbing the back of his head with one hand in nervous uncertainty, he ventured as far as a sheepish smile, "So… Tell me about yourself?"

Her head tilted slightly in time with the rise of an inquisitive eyebrow, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, where you're from; what you do; the usual things."

An earnest little smile worked its way onto her lips and her eyes began to sparkle. Yuzuru knew this was going to be a fascinating explanation.

-o-O-o-

Throughout the meal Yuzuru sat, enraptured, trying to absorb and retain every fine point and minutiae that their conversation revealed to him about Kanade. It came as no real surprise that she was from the same region of Japan as he was, given the subtle inflections of her softly accented voice. It was a bit more of a surprise to him that they actually came from the same town. But the most startling fact of all was that it turned out they lived only a couple of blocks away from one-another.

"And to think," Yuzuru dapped carefully at his lips with his napkin, replacing it on the empty plate and relaxing back into his chair, "how many times we may've crossed paths without realising."

Kanade absently steered the last little chunk of food around her bowl-like plate with the underside of her spoon. Not really paying attention to the action itself, she was actually looking up at Yuzuru with the slightest of smiles on her face. Despite the fact he'd shot her, and despite his seemingly incessant need to apologise for it even in spite of her objections and explicit forgiveness, he had proven most charming and ingratiating.

He'd made the evening a pleasant one.

"It's surprising that we've never met." Kanade admitted, "I can't believe you know Yuri Nakamura."

"For the longest time now." Yuzuru nodded. It was true that Yuri knew a lot of people – nobody had ever managed to provide him with a plausible theory as to how Yuri actually managed to make and retain so many acquaintances and friends. Though he did know that her phonebook contained more names and numbers than the Yellow Pages, and her social calendar was always full to breaking point.

It was a real surprise that he and Kanade had never met at one of Yuri's parties. But then again, such events were always an intensely busy affair. It was difficult to meet, know and remember absolutely everybody who attended. He knew _that_ much from experience.

"It was good of her to organise this trip for you."

"Yes," Yuzuru nodded, looking her square in the eye, "It's proven quite… Memorable, so far."

Another uncharacteristic blush spread across the smooth porcelain of Kanade's cheeks, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Her eyes fell once more to the plate on the table before her, the figure eight waltz that the spoon was tracing elegantly through the remnants of oily sauce leaving behind a noticeable trail, as if giving form to her inexplicable bashfulness.

"Anyway," Yuzuru cut into her thoughts, "It's a nice evening. Can I walk you home?"

Kanade dropped the spoon onto the plate, raising her eyes with mild confusion, "It's not that far. You want the evening to end already…?"

To her astonishment Yuzuru smiled, then chuckled, "Well, not exactly," his fulvus eyes brimmed with amusement, "I wasn't planning on the direct route."

As he turned to look out over the beach, pale sands bathed in the blue-tinted darkness of the post-dusk sky, Kanade followed his gaze as far as the crystal ocean and its gently crashing waves. He was suggesting a walk on the beach? Well, she wouldn't object – it sounded like a wonderful idea; a perfect end to a very pleasant evening. But the platinum kitten heel sandals she was wearing were hardly appropriate beachwear.

"I-"

But Yuzuru cut her off, "I'll carry them for you."

Had he just read her mind?

But it didn't really matter. She wasn't searching for an excuse to turn him down, not in the slightest, so she nodded and turned in her chair, leaning down to guide the inappropriate sandals from her feet. They weren't that difficult to slip off – she could've been really unladylike and just kicked them off if she'd wanted to, but it seemed somewhat uncouth on the decking of a relatively upmarket restaurant.

Instead she simply took them in one hand and rose to her feet.

Seeing her move to stand up Yuzuru scrabbled to get to his feet before she did, almost knocking his chair clean over. It remained upright, but skittered across the floor with a tell-tale wooden screech. It was an old, almost out-dated tradition, a gentleman rising before a lady. But it was the little things that counted when it came to etiquette, and Yuzuru was eager to make a lasting good impression after the day's earlier events.

Besides, over time it had simply become a habit.

He reached out his hand towards Kanade, "May I?" expecting her to simply hand him her shoes.

But they remained firmly grasped in her left hand, whilst she reached out instead with her right to take hold of his fingers.

The gesture was so unexpected (had she mistaken his intent?) that this time it was Yuzuru's cheeks that flushed with a full pink blush. Thankfully, Kanade either didn't seem to notice or didn't think it worth mentioning, because she simply took his hand and worked her way around the table to the edge of the decking.

It was only a couple of steps down to the sand, but she was careful to not trip over the lower hem of her dress. The sand was soft, refreshingly cool beneath her feet. A couple of gentle wiggles of her toes half-buried her feet and the soothing texture, elicited a sigh of contentment.

More importantly to Yuzuru, though, was that she didn't release his hand once they were down on the beach. But Kanade honestly wasn't thinking anything of it, her small, delicate hand comfortable in Yuzuru's protection.

Her attention was drawn along the length of the beach, which seemed to stretch on forever into the night to both their left and right.

"Which way?" Kanade asked without looking up.

Honestly, at that particular moment in his life, Yuzuru couldn't have cared less.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 3: Of Sunsets and Twilight**


	11. Book 2: Ch 4: The Spin-Off

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Author's Note: **I know it's unusual to have the notes at the beginning of a chapter, so please forgive me just this once.

First, I'd like to offer my most sincere thanks to AngelBeatsSSS. Her help as my Beta has been truly remarkable, and for that I'm extremely grateful. Keeping my butt in gear and on-track is no easy feat, and she's done an excellent job of keeping me on track.

Secondly, I'd like to thank everybody who reads this. During the writing of this chapter, _Our Beats Incarnate_ managed to climb its way to the top of the Angel Beats! category in both number of favourites and number of follows. I never imagined that this story would become the favourite and most eagerly anticipated work in its category, and I thank you all for doing me the honour. At over 12,000 views and 96 reviews, it's also my most popular work by a long shot.

Thank you all, very much, for the privilege and joy of this achievement. I appreciate it.

So, without delaying you any further, here's the next chapter.

NKC

**Chapter 4: The Spin-Off**

Yuzuru awoke the next morning with a smile on his face so broad that it threatened to outshine the morning sun. His dreams had been so sweet and delightful, inspired as they were by memories of the previous evening's events, that he half considered just rolling over again and trying to rekindle them should unconsciousness try to reclaim him.

That thought was torn asunder the moment his alarm clock began to sound for breakfast, its shrill blare and whine drawing out a mournful groan as Yuzuru picked up his pillow and smothered his face in the hopes of blocking out the day.

The alarm ignored him completely.

"All right!" he shouted, throwing the pillow at his nightstand, knocking over the alarm clock and silencing it, "I'm up! Jeeze…"

He climbed from his bed with a yawn. But there really was no point in sleeping away his holiday.

-o-O-o-

The hotel had what basically equated to an oversized cafeteria which it set aside each morning for its famous sizable breakfast buffet. Basics such as toast, cereals, muffins, fruit juices, tea, coffee; all were help yourself. Though if anyone desired an actual cooked breakfast an order could be made from what Yuzuru had quickly come to learn was a very expansive menu. Everything from the traditional Japanese options to the Full English Breakfast, and a whole rainbow of options in between.

The day felt like it was shaping up to be a toast and marmalade kind of day.

Tray in hand, he didn't even have to bother queuing, slipping by several other guests as they placed orders with the chef to fish out a glass of fruit squash and a couple of napkins before moving over to the seating area.

At this point the room felt much more like a school lunch room than a hotel, filled with basic easy-clean plastic laminate tables and those strange rough-textured plastic chairs, fixed in place with a thick metal rod running the full length of the table.

It was late enough that quite a few of the tables were occupied, though still early enough to beat the majority of the morning rush. That gave him plenty of options.

"Yuzuru?"

The orange-haired boy spun around on his heel, eliciting a rubbery squeak from the soles of his shoes against the highly-polished tile floor, the calling of his name catching him quite by surprise. There, sitting at a table he'd managed to walk straight past without giving even a second glance, was Kanade.

"Oh, hey!" he smiled cheerily, genuinely pleased to see her. Although adorned in much less casual attire than during the previous evening, the small, sparkling smile which lit up her eyes lost none of its allure and beauty. It certainly wasn't the frame and trimmings which made this particular canvas a work of art; Kanade would have looked stunning even in rags and overalls, he was sure.

Yuzuru shook his head slightly, odd thoughts rattled loose from his mind and back to reality.

On the table before Kanade sat a breakfast tray with a fairly modest, if half-eaten, mixed fruit salad and a couple of slices of toast. Clearly she hadn't been here long.

"Mind if I join you?" Yuzuru gestured towards the vacant chair directly opposite Kanade's seat.

Shaking her head slightly and gesturing with her hand for Yuzuru to sit, he didn't waste a single moment in placing his own tray on the table and getting settled in. Truth be told, he was absolutely starving!

"Having breakfast together…" Yuzuru looked around the hall, trying to pick out any familiar faces – seemed unlikely in such a large hotel, but then again he had ran into Kanade, "Anybody who saw us last night will think we've never been apart." He kept his tone quiet, like it was some kind of secret plot, joking light-heartedly.

An unexpected blush flared high on Kanade's cheeks, and she turned her head to look down, slightly abashed. Yuzuru was puzzled for a moment. He'd been expecting a chuckle at the obvious conspiratorial joke, but instead it seemed to have embarrassed her – his joke was only supposed to suggest that-

_Oh crap!_

Yuzuru's eyes flared and his own reddened blush ignited with a vengeance as the penny finally dropped.

"Erm, I mean…" he tried to think of a way to clear up what he'd meant from what he'd _actually _said. He'd just implied that people would think they were sleeping together, "People will think we're always eating together…" he added lamely.

There was a brief instance, stretching out for a momentary infinity, in which an awkward silence threatened to engulf the pair – or at least, Yuzuru. Kanade appeared to be contemplating the very next victim to be plucked from her morning breakfast selection.

"So," Yuzuru offered, as a small, crisp triangle of toast made first contact with its demise under the ministrations of Kanade's appetite, "Got any plans for today?"

Kanade's eyes moved up to greet him, offering him little more than a slow chew and a long gulp in immediate reply. But a small sip of her drink returned her voice to full use once more.

"I'm going karting."

Yuzuru blinked. He couldn't have been more astounded if she'd told him she was planning to wrestle polar bears, "Karting?"

"Yes." Kanade nodded slowly, "Why the funny look?"

That caught Yuzuru completely off-guard. Naturally, she'd picked up on his carelessly expressed surprise – it made sense that somebody as good at keeping their own emotions under lock and key within would be adept at reading those self-same outwards signs in others, the tell-tales that even the greatest poker face could sometimes unintentionally proclaim.

But still, it was a very good question on her part. Not that Yuzuru didn't have an idea as to why he was shocked – somebody of Kanade's apparent timidity, temperament and build didn't generally strike him as the sort to take an interest in any form of motor-racing. Usually that was left to the adrenaline-pumped speed freak, right? But he didn't want to run the risk of offending her, his assumption based as it was based entirely upon an unfair stereotype.

At best, he'd come off as a patronising ass. At worst, she'd likely think him a sexist bigot.

The devil was in the detail

In the end, simple honesty reigned supreme, "You don't strike me as a petrol head."

For her part, Kanade's own response to that was a measured silence and a perplexed and typically blank stare. If she'd found the remark at all insulting she was either ignoring it or simply hiding the fact.

"It's something I got into when I was little," she explained at length, "I used to go karting with my dad. He said it played well off my reflexes and concentration."

Yuzuur nodded almost knowingly. After the incident with his stray arrow, he could certainly believe that!

"And what are you doing today?" She pressed him, before introducing a strawberry from her salad to its final conclusion.

Speaking through a half-chewed mouthful of toast and marmalade, Yuzuru's own response was barely understandable, "No plans." He returned to his rumination.

He picked up his drink for a sip to wash it down when Kanade's hands suddenly hit down at the table with enough force to send all of the cutlery rattling. Yuzuru spluttered as he nearly chocked mid-swallow, the suddenness of her movement catching him so by surprise that he'd tried to inhale a sharp gasp with his mouth still full.

An instant later, as he was coughing to recover his breath and avoid drowning in his own breakfast, Kanade was on her feet.

"Come with me." She declared, grabbing Yuzuru's hand and pulling him with a remarkable degree of force.

Yuzuru still struggled to breathe, even as she dragged him away from the table, breakfast apparently forgotten. He tried to launch off a protest about still being hungry, but between his struggles for breath and Kanade's dogged determination to show some uncharacteristic aggressive assertiveness his pleas fell entirely upon deaf ears, and his breakfast was condemned to the mournful "What If?" annals of history.

Where she was taking him he didn't know. Outside to strangle him, perhaps?

Maybe she had taken offence after all…

-o-O-o-

The karting track was a cavernous hangar-type building located on the far side of the resort complex. It basically consisted of a smooth concrete -surfaced course, twisting and tying itself in knots, an area where people could rent and change into overalls and a helmet, a large open-plan café, and a briefing area for new drivers. The entire building, though well-ventilated, retained a strong scent of unburned fuel and exhaust fumes. The resounding whir of two-stroke petrol engines and screeching of tyres on faux-tarmac were almost overpowering.

Until Kanade had dragged him through the doors, Yuzuru had honestly never considered visiting this place. But, in the five to ten minutes since they'd arrived, Kanade had managed to source them both a set of overalls – essentially just a bright orange jumpsuit, baggy and loosely fitted – and appropriately sized helmets, containing gloves and protective wicking headwear, which retained the acerbic odour of more than just a handful of uses.

Kanade obviously had more experience at this than he'd expected, because she was in her suit and heading to the small briefing area even as Yuzuru was still hopping around the place trying to get his second leg into his overalls. Not wishing to miss out on the pre-race briefing, Yuzuru somehow managed to manoeuvre himself over to where a small group were beginning to congregate, surrounding a dark-blue haired man with glasses and a serious expression on his face. The polo shirt he was wearing matched the usual resort staff livery, though it appeared to be a couple of sizes too small for the young man's physique.

"Good morning." He declared, pulling a clipboard out from somewhere behind his back, "My name is Takamatsu, and I'll be your instructor today."

He flipped over a leaf on his clip-board like he was reading a script, "To keep everybody safe whilst karting we have a few simple but strict rules." He began to pace back and forth in front of the attending group, not looking up from his board, "Helmets must be worn at all times when in karts. Safety harnesses are provided for your safety and are self-adjusting. Avoid contact between karts where possible – slam-panels are provided for your safety. Accelerator on your right. Brake on your left. Any questions?"

Kanade's hand shot straight up into the air, Takamatsu nodding towards her permissively, "How many laps?" she queried.

"There are three qualifying laps." Takamatsu checked over his clipboard again. Yuzuru couldn't help but wonder if he was new to the resort and didn't actually know any of this, or if he was just doing it for show. Either way, for a safety instructor not being familiar with the finer details wasn't a very inspiring demonstration, "Best lap determines starting positions. The race itself is fifteen laps."

Takamatsu peered around at the rest of the group with a questioning quirk of his eyebrow. But no other questions were forthcoming.

"Alright then." He declared, dropping his clipboard to the side and cracking a smile for the first time, "Go have fun!"

And with that, the briefing was over.

"Short and sweet," Yuzuru thought aloud, turning towards Kanade with a witty quip on his tongue, "Do you think that-"

But she wasn't there. As he looked up in the direction of the karts Yuzuru could see the distinctive platinum locks dancing free in barely restrained tendrils just beneath her helmet. She was already picking out her weapon of choice.

"Crap!"

With a start Yuzuru ran for the tracks.

-o-O-o-

After the three initial qualifying laps Yuzuru had to admit that he wasn't having all that much luck when it came to karting. He seemed to completely misjudge the corners, at least at first, either braking too hard and taking them too slow, or being a bit heavy on the throttle with his right foot and sending his kart into a screeching spin of reinforced rubber on concrete.

He'd come last in his qualifying group, whilst Kanade had managed a pretty respectable second. Not that Yuzuru was at all surprised once he'd seen her complete a few laps. She was aggressive, unbelievably focussed and completely unapologetic in her approach. She hadn't exactly cheated, but with zeal and a fair amount of force she'd "urged" people to move out of her way in order to attain her grid position.

The only person proving more ruthless was the young gentleman in pole position, who seemed to have a complete disregard for any of the other people on the track.

_This is going to be one interesting race… _Yuzuru couldn't help but smile inwardly, _Even if I have no chance of winning._

By the time everybody had taken up their positions for the final fifteen laps it was clear that everybody was feeling the excitement, eager to get going. The tension as the overhead starting-lights came to life was almost palpable.

_Red…_

The sound of the little two-stroke engines revving in a concert of eager anticipation echoed through the cavernous hangar.

_Red…_

Yuzuru gazed up the centre of the grid. Everybody else had their full attention directed forwards.

_Red…_

Yuzuru tested his own throttle, the deafening roar of his kart urging on the adrenaline as it surged through his veins.

_Red…_

This was it. He felt the thick faux-leather of his gloves move against the lining of the wheel as he flexed his fingers. His left foot, firmly planted on the brake, held fast for the final moment.

_Green!_

With a deafening roar and a monstrous squeal, Yuzuru lifted his foot, and his kart rocketed down the grid, chasing glory and his opponents. His grin was enormous.

-o-O-o-

Thirteen and a half laps, and still Kanade found her efforts to win thwarted by the boy who'd taken pole position. Thirteen and a half laps of intense focus and drive, and all she'd managed to get for her troubles was a picture-perfect mental image of his rear spoiler, and a few new dents to the kart's bumpers and side slam-panels. Every time she'd gone for the overtake, every time he'd presented an opening for her to exploit, he'd closed the door on her at the worst possible moment in a manner that seemed almost deliberately reckless. Several times she'd had to fight to keep control of her kart, losing both momentum and ground, and having to do all the work to close the gap once more.

It was driving her to distraction, and she was running out of laps. And patience.

As they crossed the line to begin the final lap, Kanade decided to bide her time – knowing that her best chance to get by her competitor was the apex line on the third to last corner – and keep the pressure on. Between negotiating the track, holding her line behind the leading kart, and avoiding the stragglers as they lapped them, it was a truly exhilarating challenge. Beneath the guarded cover of her helmet, a satisfied smirk drew the corner of her lips upwards.

Soon enough the corner approached. And, ahead of the leader's kart, another of the trailing pack, occupying the inside line guardedly even on the final approach. She recognised the style instantly from the qualifying laps.

_Yuzuru…_

This was too perfect. She knew precisely what he'd do next – leaving it late to swing out wide so he could turn in sharply and take the corner as close to the apex as he possibly could – and that would work entirely to her advantage.

Acting quickly, Kanade moved out to her left, hoping to give the impression that she was going to try for the overtake before the corner, and then close the gap to force her opponent back. To her delight, he took the bait, moving out to the centre of the track to block her in and force her around the outside of the bend.

Kanade kept her distance, but didn't drop her line of attack.

And then, true to form, Yuzuru swung outwards.

Kanade seized her chance, flooring the throttle as the guy in pole slammed all on to avoid crashing into the back of Yuzuru's kart. Dropping her right hand hard, she crossed behind him with a gap of mere millimetres and capturing the inside line to take the apex.

Kanade was clear and away.

But her opponent was having none of it.

The instant she had passed by, he dropped his own right hand. His inside wing clipped her rear quarter, and that was all it took. Kanade's kart lost all grip on the track as it spun into a skid.

She closed her eyes as her kart hit the tyre wall backwards, hard.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru could hear the approaching karts long before he could see them. And he just knew that he was about to be lapped by the two race leaders – again. Well, maybe he wasn't going to be world champion any time in the next century or two, but he was definitely having fun!

It was only as he swung out wide and began to corner that he realised something had gone terribly wrong. He heard the squeal of rubber tyres desperately trying to find grip, before an out of control kart cut across his path, hitting the outside tyre wall on the exit from the curve with a startlingly loud thud, sending tyres flying in all directions across the track.

Yuzuru slammed all on to avoid hitting anything, his own kart giving off a pitched cry of protest as it skidded to a straight-line stop. The roar of another engine as one of the karts that had been trailing him dashed by, dodging debris, drew a frown. How could anybody think carrying on was at all appropriate, given the circumstances?

And then Yuzuru recalled the clear aggression of the guy who'd taken pole during qualifying. He was definitely the remorseless sort – he'd probably have kept going if the track itself caught fire.

Which meant that the crashed kart had to belong to…

Yuzuru's eyes went wide as realisation struck, "Kanade!"

In as much time as it takes to draw breath, Yuzuru was up and out of his kart, his helmet off and tossed carelessly aside, running towards the crash. When he reached the beached, half-buried kart he felt a tight chill seize his rib cage in its icy grip – he couldn't see through the darkened tint of Kanade's visor, and she was completely motionless.

"Kanade…?"

In that moment, as it drew out before him like a blade, he felt the chill turn into a panic. Was she injured? Had she been knocked unconscious? Was she dead? Yuzuru's mind raced through some pretty awful scenarios.

But then Kanade's hands moved. Yuzuru was so surprised he almost jumped back.

Almost.

As his senses returned to him, Yuzuru realised that he could actually hear some soft mumbling from beneath Kanade's helmet. He couldn't make out the words, or even the tone, just empty formless mumbles.

Kanade rose quickly to her feet, reaching up and removing her helmet with surprising force, bringing the base-layer balaclava beneath off in the process. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders, but it was the expression in her eyes that drew Yuzuru's attention. Rage, unlike anything he'd seen in her before. Even the usual calm placidity in her facial features reddened into a barely-contained blush of anger.

Kanade leapt out of her kart and onto the track, "That's sneaky, no good, cheating little bastar-!"

"Kanade!" The short girl was caught completely off-guard when Yuzuru simply grabbed her by the shoulders and held her at arms' length. With a series of rapid blinks her anger dissolved, and she found herself meeting Yuzuru's eyes. Her expression softened further when she saw the concern they held, "Are you alright?"

"I…" she paused for a moment, only now taking stock. Nothing was wrong. She wasn't even sore. "I'm fine."

Yuzuru gave off a slight sigh of relief.

"He cheated…" Kanade began again, this time much calmer, though her outrage was clearly still there, "I was clean through, and he pushed me into a spin, the cheating jacka-"

The rest of her sentence was cut short by a loud blare from an air horn. Everybody's attention was drawn to the pit area, where a rather agitated looking track marshal was holding up a red flag. The race was clearly over.

Turning back to Kanade, one hand reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from her eyes, the soft lopsided grin which slowly parted his lips betraying some mild amusement. Kanade looked up puzzled.

"Fragile and ferocious," Yuzuru began softly, "vulgar and noble at the same time." He couldn't help but recall so much from everything that had happened since he'd come to the island – so much mixed fortune; bizarrely fortunate bad luck. And his time with Kanade, "You're quite a compelling enigma."

She regarded him in silence for only a moment. "Is that a compliment?"

"It was meant as one." He placed his hand atop her head, "Come on," and he turned her to face the off-track section of the hangar, marching her forwards, "Let's get out of here."

The race was definitely over.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru smiled inwardly as he walked Kanade back towards her suite. Somewhere along the way he'd plucked up the courage to take hold of her hand. It was an innocent enough gesture, though it had somehow shifted to the point where Kanade now had her forearm hooked through his at the elbos. Not that he minded, but it had turned their ambling walk into a slower-paced meander. Of course,that was by no means a bad thing, not in Yuzuru's opinion.

As they made their way Kanade was chatting away about the race, the close-calls and the near victory. Yuzuru found it amusing how serious she took the karting, and upon looking down, the slight little smile she was wearing told him that despite the unfortunate spin-out ending, she'd thoroughly enjoyed it herself.

Yuzuru was still looking down at her when she raised her head to regard him, "How did you enjoy your first proper karting experience?" there was an intonation of dry humour to her voice, as if she were trying to be playfully patronising.

Yuzuru's smirk widened into a complete smile, "I had fun."

Kanade nodded thoughtfully as they reached the main residential building of the resort. Stepping out of the tropical humidity and rising heat of the day into the crisp, air-conditioned environs of imported civilisation was a more than welcome respite.

Being at the height of the activity hours of the day, the hotel itself was almost completely devoid of other guests. They had the elevator entirely to themselves, and they rode it in comfortable silence.

But Kanade didn't release Yuzuru's arm until they were at her door.

"Say, Kanade…" Yuzuru began as she unlocked her door, "I was wondering…" he faltered as she turned back to face him, auric eyes full of curious wonder.

For some reason he suddenly felt nervous, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"Yes?" she prompted him.

"Would you like to eat with me?" This time, he really was asking her for an official date.

Kanade stepped forwards into his personal space, looking up _into _him with probing inquisition. Was she trying to read his thoughts? Yuzuru was a bit taken aback, but he didn't move away.

With surprising suddenness she rose up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. The blush that instantly flooded Yuzuru's cheeks felt so intense that he was worried for a moment the inferno would consume him on the spot.

She returned to ground level, "Yes."

Before Yuzuru could so much as muster his senses she had retreated into the confines of her suite, leaving Yuzuru in the hallway with a dozen more questions. But he was too detached from reality to care.

"Wow." His hand rose to his cheek, where the memory of her kiss lingered.

It felt a strangely familiar gesture, like it meant something significant, but he couldn't quite place it.

It was several minutes before he pulled himself together and headed for his own room, leaving the hallway in a peaceful, empty silence.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 4: The Spin-Off**


	12. Book 2: Ch 5: The Departure

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Chapter 5: The Departure**

-o-O-o-

_One Week Later…_

-o-O-o-

_Dear Hatsune,_

_I'm having an amazing vacation here at the resort. Almost two weeks into my holiday and I'm having the time of my life. The island is great, there's plenty to do, and I think I've just about tried it all._

_I've even met somebody. Yes, a girl. Stop grinning._

_Her name's Kanade. She's smart, beautiful, fun to be around. We've spent a lot of time together. I'm hoping to keep in contact with her after we get back from holiday – she doesn't live all that far away._

_Hope everybody there is well._

_See you all in a few days,_

_Yuzuru_

-o-O-o-

The sudden, welcomed appearance of a steaming cup of tea on the edge of the desk he was sitting at returned Yuzuru's complete attention back to the room and the world contained within it. The pleasantly soothing aroma unobtrusively assaulted his senses, the subtle hint of cinnamon carried with the steam betraying its no doubt delightfully cloying sweetness. The timing was, of course, perfect to the second – though that in itself didn't really come as a shock to him.

Setting the pen down carefully at the top of the desk so that he could pick up the fresh beverage, Yuzuru turned to regard the almost mystic creature who had conjured this early-morning pick-me-up from the deepest nether realms of his hotel suite. Kanade stood, just beyond arm's reach, nursing her own morning mug. For somebody so guarded in expressing their own emotions – Yuzuru had to work very hard sometimes just to scratch the surface – she seemed to be very good at reading them in others. Or perhaps just in him.

Or maybe she'd just noticed over the past week that he liked to have his tea first thing in the morning?

Their eyes met, and they spoke wordlessly to one-another – he offering his gratitude, she accepting it with her usual silent grace – and they both turned back to what they had each been doing previously.

Yuzuru had never really been one for writing letters, but Hatsune has made him promise to send her _something _before he left, saying that a holiday didn't really count unless a traditional postcard was sent. It had been a challenge fitting all that he'd wanted to say onto the back of a single photograph, short as his message was – even on one of the larger varieties, he'd only just managed, with handwriting so small that his hand had cramped up at the end of the very first brief paragraph.

Reclining in his chair and stretching out an arm until his wrist clicked, Yuzuru basked in the warm sunlight which filtered down through the open window, accompanied by a soft, warm, humid sea breeze. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of paradise that the morning air carried into his room.

After all that had happened at the resort, it would be a shame to go back home.

"What are you thinking?" Kanade's soft voice came from just behind him. He didn't jump or start, having traced her steps by ear as she'd padded softly across the room barefooted. From where she was standing it looked as if Yuzuru were staring out of the window, but his slight reflection in the glass had let her see that he had actually had his eyes closed.

"It'll be a shame to go home…" there was a conflictingly bittersweet tone in his voice, almost as if he were mourning the future.

"Well," Kanade stepped up, placing her cup on the desk with her fingers still threaded through the handle, and perching lightly on its edge so that she was now facing Yuzuru, "We still have a couple of days left. There are still a few things we could do."

With a happy smile working its way across his face, cheek to cheek, he reached out and took her free hand between his own fingers. He brought it to his lips, imparting the softest of kisses on the back of her hand. As always, she was right – no point worrying about the future when there was still so much of the present left for them to enjoy.

Kanade's own smile was slight, almost imperceptible had he not known the signs to look for. The slight upturn at the corners of her mouth were the first sign. But the way her auric eyes positively danced with the halcyon mirth she so often kept hidden from the world was the real tell-tale that always made his heart reverberate in song.

"Okay," he spoke softly, "What did you have in mind?"

-o-O-o-

The amazing thing about moments and minutes is how easily they stack up when you're having fun and paying them no heed. The minutes turn into hours, into days, and finally into weeks. Time flies when you're having fun, and fastest of all when you're with those who mean the most to you.

Yuzuru's time was no different when he was with Kanade. It flew by faster than ever he'd known it. And through those minutes, hours, days and weeks he'd come to realise the inevitable truth of it all. Every breakfast-time shared; every joint hike and adventure into the island's almost-tamed wilderness; through every game of badminton, archery and tropical ocean swim, Yuzuru _felt_ it with an ever-expanding depth of sensation. It caused the very foundations beneath him to crumble away, and quicker than he'd known or even suspected, he was falling.

With Kanade by his side throughout the short weeks he'd spent on the island, he'd fallen in love. Only with hindsight had he noticed the obvious truth, and realised that by the time he'd recognised all the signs it had already happened, with a pace that should have felt almost overwhelming.

But the scariest thing of all; it didn't scare him in the slightest. The sensation of admitting to himself precisely how he felt didn't leave him feeling daunted or as out of sync with reality as he'd expected. Rather, it was like slipping back under a comfortable blanket, warm and safe. Like it was where he belonged. Like he was meant to be there.

Like he'd been there before.

And as they spent their last few days together Yuzuru tried his hardest to not think about the impending date of his return home.

-o-O-o-

Kanade felt the radiant warmth of early morning sunlight as it imparted its welcoming morning kiss upon her face. It was enough to draw her out of the sweet realm of her dreams, her eyes opening slowly and banishing sleep with a gentle flutter of her eyelashes. From the bed she could see clearly out of the open balcony window, letting in the now familiar morning breeze and revealing the pale cerulean of a cloudless tropical sky.

Just inside the open sliding glass door stood the fully packed luggage, taunting her, reminding her that the end to the best holiday of her life was drawing close. Rude, obtrusive, obnoxious.

And it wasn't even her luggage!

With a rueful sigh, she tried to cast the thought aside and rolled over beneath the covers of the bed. Draping her arm over the bare chest of the man beside her, she rested her head across his bicep, in the nook between his chest and arm. A permeating joy filled her soul, and as she closed her eyes again even her well-practiced mien couldn't hide the smile she wanted to share with the world.

Her eyes reopened when she felt the delicate touch of fingertips caressing their way through the roots of her hair.

She looked up. Yuzuru's sleepy cupreous eyes and earnest smile met her in a silent good morning. The palest blush painted the wan porcelain of her features, but she didn't look away.

"Good morning." He began with a soft yawn, then placed a gentle kiss atop her forehead, "Today's the day."

Kanade's grip around him tightened for a moment, as if she were trying to hold on to the moment itself, "I wish you didn't have to go."

She wanted the moment to last forever.

But the intrusive, angry chirp of the alarm simply wouldn't allow that.

-o-O-o-

The airport was a hive of activity, despite its comparatively small size. It may only have served two outgoing and incoming flights per day, but the island was apparently popular enough to merit a rush hour preceding each arrival and departure.

Yuzuru stood, looking up at the information board with the details of his plane on it. The large clock in the bottom corner counted up each fleeting second as the deadline for his departure drew inexorably nearer.

The call for final boarding came unapologetically over the small terminal's announcement system, and instantly a crowd of people in the waiting area began to gather up their hand luggage and move towards the boarding gate.

Yuzuru felt the delicate tug of fingers pulling on the thin fabric sleeve over his elbow. When he turned to look he found himself face to face with Kanade, gazing up at him, an unusual intensity burning in her eyes.

For a moment she seemed about to speak, her lips parting to silence instead, and Yuzuru couldn't help but smile warmly. One of his hands found its way up to her cheek, the gentle caress of his fingertips against her soft, porcelain features drawing her eyes shut with a delicate sigh. There was something she wanted to convey, it seemed. But she was struggling within herself to word it.

"I have to go, Kanade." Yuzuru offered gently, "Or I'll miss my plane."

When her eyes opened they had softened, a glassy shimmer setting off their golden sparkle with an almost breath-taking awe.

Yuzuru would miss those eyes.

"Yuzuru, I…" Kanade fell into silence again. She knew precisely what she wanted to say to him, she just couldn't find the right words. Perhaps this was one of those moments where words weren't all that important, and her actions could do the talking for her?

Quicker than Yuzuru could react Kanade had her arms around him in a tight hug. It had caught him off-guard, but as his surprise turned into a smile and his arms returned the embrace, holding her close, the kiss his lips placed atop her head let Kanade know that he got the message. He understood.

"I'll miss you." She whispered into his chest. She wasn't sure if he'd heard or not, because he didn't reply. But he didn't really need to.

They separated after only a moment, before it could run away with them, and they parted company without a single utterance. The expression in Kanade's eyes and Yuzuru's slight, knowing smile ensured that they each heard every unspoken word that had been said between.

And just like that, their holiday together was over.

-o-O-o-

The fluffy white vapour of the cloud-tops floated lazily past the window, their ever-flowing , ever-changing beauty lost entirely upon Yuzuru as his eyes gazed vacantly into the middle distance. He may have been flying back home, but his thoughts were still back at the resort.

It was a moment or two before he registered that the deep, sad sigh which assaulted his ears was actually his own, and a moment more before he realised he was getting very close to risking genuine nostalgia.

_Snap out of it, Yuzuru… _he chastised himself with an ardent shake of the head, _You'll see her again…_

Another sigh escaped him and his eyes drew closed as Yuzuru resettled himself in his seat, trying to shift his thoughts back to the present. Absently, his hands found their way into his pockets, the tips of his fingers brushing against the serrated edge of an object he hadn't expected to be there.

Thin, light, sharp-edged – it felt like a piece of folded paper.

With an eyebrow piqued in curious interest, Yuzuru carefully extracted it between two fingers and brought it into daylight. It was a simple wide-ruled grain, folded over twice as if to protect its sacred contents from prying eyes.

He took extra care to unfurl it, intrigue plaguing his mind as to what its message could be. Much to his surprise the bare little notelet contained a string of simple numbers, undersigned with a name he knew all too well.

_Kanade_

A phone number.

With a happy smile, Yuzuru arose from his seat, and began to make his way to the back of the plane. There was a phone call that he just had to make.

-o-O-o-

A light, wistful sigh liberated itself from between Kanade's lips as her taxi conveyed her back to the hotel.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the driver asked, having clearly heard, his eyes in the rear-view mirror showing concern for his fare.

Admittedly, Kanade had been completely lost in thought. Almost a full week lay ahead of her still until she too returned home – a week that would no doubt feel like an entire month, now that she had to fill in the hours in Yuzuru's absence – and she couldn't quite suppress a fleeting moment of lonely distress at the thought.

But the sensation was ushered on its way as quickly as it appeared, replaced with the comforting warmth brought about by the prospect of seeing Yuzuru again when she returned home.

She had heard it said that holiday romances didn't always work out, being the whirlwinds of romance and passion that they so often notoriously were; a fire fading to mere embers when exposed to the dousing rigors of reality.

Something about Yuzuru felt different, though. Unlike anything she'd felt before, and yet at the same time strikingly familiar. It was a sensation she couldn't quite describe. One she wasn't entirely sure she understood herself.

"Miss?"

Shaking her head, Kanade came back to reality with a start, "Oh, yes. Sorry, I'm fine."

The driver offered an accepting nod as they pulled up outside the resort's main entrance. Kanade wasted no time in paying the man and making her way inside to the lobby in order to collect her room keys. The large, ornate clock that hung almost precariously on the wall directly behind the reception desk told her that it had only been an hour or so since she had parted ways with Yuzuru. Already it felt like it had been days since they'd last embraced.

As she approached the desk the entire on-duty staff, as well as a few of the guests mulling around in the lobby, seemed strangely distracted. They were all looking intently in the same direction, at the large flat television screen hung on the wall. Kanade offered it a cursory glance, some breaking news bulletin seemingly playing across it. She paid it no heed as she asked for her key.

One of the attendants, still seemingly distracted, fulfilled her request and handed Kanade the key card she required along with her other effects. The woman wasn't particularly rude, but she seemed to show very little interest in what was currently happening, the TV drawing her back in almost immediately.

The staff had never been anything less than courteous before, and Kanade felt her interests being genuinely piqued.

"What's going on?" she asked the woman.

"There's been some sort of accident." Came the brief reply, the uniformed woman's attention still focused almost entirely upon the screen, "They're still looking for survivors."

Kanade's eyebrow raised questioningly of its own accord as she tried to grasp at precisely what the woman was trying to say, "Was there an earthquake on the mainland?"

When there was no immediate reply, Kanade turned to see for herself, looking directly at the screen. The newsfeed was directly over the ocean. Below, several large ocean-going ships encircled a floating field of debris. She noted many much smaller craft in amongst the flotsam and jetsam, seemingly relaying between the wreckage and the larger vessels nearby. They were too small for her to make out precisely what they were doing, but it appeared to be a salvage operation of some kind.

"Has a ship gone down?" she asked again.

Her eyes fell upon the headlines flowing across the ticker at the bottom of the screen.

"_Airliner from tropical island resort to Tokyo goes down in Sea of Japan. No survivors found."_

Kanade felt a cold chill run down her spine, sapping all her strength and filling every fibre of her being with a growing sense of dread.

"W-which resort did that plane depart from?" she asked weakly.

The woman, still watching the screen intently, didn't even look her way, "It flew from here earlier today. To think, those poor people… We saw most of them this morning when they checked out." When she finally turned to look directly at Kanade, she asked, "Did you know any-?"

She fell silent.

Kanade had buckled to her knees, her legs no longer able to support her. Her hands cupped across her mouth as she struggled to draw breath, her body almost completely paralysed. Cold tears streaked freely down her cheeks.

She couldn't bring herself to speak, words faltering to silence upon her lips, though she tried to mouth a single inaudible name.

_Yuzuru_

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 5: The Departure**

**Author's Note: **I can only apologise for how long it's taken me to get this chapter written up. I have no excuses, but I have by no means forgotten about this story. So thank you for bearing with me. There will be more of this book to follow (this isn't the end), and a few more books in the works after this.

So thanks for your patience. I hope it was worth the wait.


	13. Book 2: Ch 6: Memories and Futures

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Chapter 6: Memories and Futures**

-o-O-o-

_One Week Later…_

-o-O-o-

Kanade dragged her heavy wheeled luggage through the door to her apartment and dumped it unceremoniously off to one side, not even bothering to take it all the way into her home before disregarding it completely and closing the door behind her.

She was running on almost complete autopilot as she passed from the confined hallway and into the main living room, numb to the world and acting purely out of habit. When she passed by her phone and answer machine she noticed that there were a few messages waiting for her, the small digital display blinking at her with its angry red light. She pressed the "Play Message" button without giving it so much as a second thought.

The first was from her mother, asking Kanade to give her a call once she was completely over the jetlag.

The second one was a mindless automated cold-call from some telemarketing company that had rung out long enough to just catch the answerphone. She didn't even wait until the message had ended before hitting the delete button.

The third and final message pulled Kanade completely out of her trance the moment the familiar voice began to speak.

"_Hey, Kanade. Um, it's Yuzuru. I just… Well, I got your note. And now I'm calling you, obviously."_

Kanade simply looked at the phone, barely even blinking.

"_So, I guess I'm on a time limit here, right? Well, best make this prompt. I'm on the plane, barely away from you, and already I miss you like crazy. Really hope that doesn't sound too creepy…" _there was an almost nervous pause, _"Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I can't wait until I see you again. I really did fall in love with you, Kanade Tachibana. And I hope you grow to love me too. Until then, I guess I can dream."_

Kanade felt her eyes begin to mist up and a lump grow in her throat. She was holding a hand over her mouth, trying in vain to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her reserve.

"_Well, guess I'd better go. The "Seatbelts On" sign just lit up. Seems we're expecting turbulence. See you soon, Kanade. I hope you're smiling when you get this. Just know I'm thinking about you. Bye."_

At that moment, reality seemed to come crashing down all around Kanade, and her world simply fell apart. Tears overflowed, and her sorrow overwhelmed her.

_I love you too, Yuzuru._

And she would never get to tell him.

-o-O-o-

_Some weeks later…_

-o-O-o-

Kanade stood nervously outside the door of a house she'd never actually visited before, hands anxiously toying with the cuffs of her blouse and the little pearlescent button there. Being there was undoubtedly the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, but her determination to simply attend had given her the courage to see it through.

But it still felt like an eternity between her ringing the doorbell and anybody coming to answer the door. It gave her far too much time to fall victim to her own doubts, and for a moment she wondered if her resolve would falter and crack.

When the door did eventually open, it revealed to Kanade vibrant orange hair and two deep cupreous eyes so startlingly familiar that it caused her to freeze for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. It was a girl. But she looked so much like…

"Hello?" the girl spoke up uncertainly, looking Kanade up and down as she simply stood there, "Can I help you?"

"Otonashi…" Kanade barely whispered.

"Yes. Otonashi residence. I'm Hatsune. And you are?"

It took Kanade a full moment to completely gather up her wits, struck as she was by the close resemblance Hatsune held to Yuzuru. But then, that obviously meant she was in the right place, "I… I'm Kanade…"

"Oh!" Hatsune's eyes lit up in recognition, "Kanade! We spoke over the phone the other day. Please," Hatsune stepped to one side, gesturing to Kanade welcomingly, "Come inside."

With a nod, the platinum-haired girl accepted the offer and stepped into the apartment, "I'm not too late, am I?"

"No." Hatsune placed an arm around her, reassuringly, "No, you're just in time. Everybody is here."

And she led her out of the hall, deeper into the house.

-o-O-o-

The room was filled almost to capacity with people, all seemingly hanging around in groups of three or four, conversing at a respectfully quiet murmur. Whatever function it usually served, it had obviously been cleared of furniture to make room for all the people in attendance. At one end there was a long narrow table, adorned with a small buffet almost fit for a party. At the opposite end, a shorter, broader table decorated with pictures of Yuzuru and his various friends – obviously fond memories – and several lit candles to illuminate the scene.

Hatsune introduced Kanade to a few of the people who had turned up. But names and faces blurred far too easily out of focus as her mind wandered. Yuri, Yui, Hinata. It was a lot to take in all at once, and she soon found herself alone and off to one side with her thoughts, casting the occasional glance across the room at that picture-filled table and the people who seemed to go up to it and say their piece.

It was a funeral of sorts, or perhaps something better described as a wake, since there had been no body found. Kanade tried to not think like that. It was grim, and she'd been there too many times as of late. So she forced herself to stay firmly entrenched in the present, watching the room, the people and the table. And simply biding her time.

When there was a brief gap in the visitors to the table, Kanade took her turn for a quiet moment alone with Yuzuru. She approached it silently, and simply looked across it, taking everything in. All the happy memories there made her wonder about all the things she hadn't known about him, and then again about all the things she had learned. But mostly, she thought about all of the memories that he wouldn't get to make in the future. All of the precious opportunities lost, for both Yuzuru and those closest to him in his life.

And of course, she thought of the memories that they could have made _together_.

The idle chatter of the room seemed to fade entirely into the background as Kanade's attention focussed solely on one photo in particular. It was just Yuzuru, smiling warmly, seemingly caught off-guard by whoever had been holding the camera. It was an easy grin, betraying sincere and genuine mirth in that one instance, the sort that can only be captured in such a spontaneous photo. Such moments existed fleetingly, and were often so very difficult to catch.

But this one was… Perfect.

"I wasn't entirely sure what I'd say to you today," Kanade admitted softly to that one picture, "But Hatsune told me about her plans for today over the phone; a chance to relive fond memories, and to say goodbye."

Of course, the picture didn't answer her. But it did a pretty good job of just listening. That helped.

"Honestly, Yuzuru, I don't _want_ to say goodbye. I want to say hello to you. I wanted to wake up from this dream, find myself safe and warm in your arms, and never have to let go of you ever again. I wanted to tell you that…"

The growing lump in her throat threatened to choke her and deprive her of this moment, but she fought hard to control it. There were some things she wanted to say. Some things she _needed _to say.

"I brought you this." Reaching into her pocket, Kanade retrieved a small picture to add to the collection on the table. It was tiny, really. About the size of a passport photo, taken in a booth somewhere on that island where last they'd met, not long after they'd completed some activity or other. With a delicate hand, she placed it beside the image she was talking to, "It's funny. I can't actually remember what we did that day, or where we ended up. Just that one moment lingers…"

Kanade felt a hand suddenly appear at her shoulder. She turned her head to look. Hatsune had made her way over to the table as well, standing silently yet reassuringly at Kanade's side, encouraging her to continue. Kanade simply nodded before returning her gaze to the photo-laden table.

"I didn't really know you for long," Kanade admitted quietly, "But almost from the very beginning it felt as if I'd known you for a lifetime. Meeting at the resort, when you almost shot me with that arrow… It didn't feel like you were saying hello. It was more like, "We meet again", even amongst the apologies and the dinner offer."

There was a light chuckle from Kanade's other side. But she didn't pause to look.

"The next two weeks we spent together meant a lot to me, getting to know one-another so well. But I think… I think by the end of that first week, I knew I was in love with you. I just wish I could tell you that right now, so you'd _know_ in the same way I do."

The reassuring squeeze Hatsune offered gave her the strength she needed.

"The days we spent together… You were like a beacon of light in my life, promising to make the future bright and glorious. I know… I know you're gone now. But you'll be with me for the rest of my life. You're in my heart now, Yuzuru."

She placed a tender kiss at the tip of her fingers, and lightly brushed it across the smiling picture of Yuzuru, imparting all the love and bittersweet sorrow she felt into a simple, single loving gesture.

"And you always will be."

-o-O-o-

_Many years later…_

-o-O-o-

Seasons came and seasons passed, their inexorable flow yielding in turn to the years that came and went in their wake. And time in its passing forgets nobody, and leaves no soul untouched.

Kanade had never felt herself an exception to this rule, and as the years of her life became the decades of memory and experience she could now only look upon with a sense of warm nostalgia, she still resigned herself to the fact that some facets of her being were immutable, remaining completely unchanged and unassailable by the whims of time's gentle temper.

Most of all, it was her feelings, carried with her for a lifetime even as mind and memory threatened to fade to the ages.

"Nana Kanade!" a young voice chirped merrily, pulling her out of her reverie. A small girl, not much older than half a decade, stood before her with cupreous eyes wide and filled with wonder, "Would you like any cake, Nana Kanade?"

Kanade managed a small but earnest smile to the generous young child, "No thank you, sweetheart. But thank you for asking."

The little girl beamed ear to ear, in a way that only the innocence of youth would ever allow, before turning and skipping away in the direction of her other family members.

"No cake, huh?" a much more time-wearied tone interrupted Kanade's most recent thoughts before they could begin. Turning to look, Hatsune stood with an odd smirk on her lips, framed by lengthy locks that seemed to have lost some of their vibrant hue in recent years, settling for a streaked colouration that was erring on the silvery side of raw umber. Her eyes were the same as always, however, if seemingly a little wiser.

She didn't wait for Kanade to invite her to sit, instead simply taking the seat beside her old friend, knowing that her presence was welcome regardless.

"Unlike you to refuse a fine dessert."

"It's more for your grandchildren to enjoy." Kanade hummed softly, taking in the familial scene around her with no small measure of contentment. All bore the unmistakable trademark features of the wider Otonashi clan, with a few close friends thrown in for the current celebrations. Three generations at least filled the room, and Hatsune had spent most of the event playing the role of wise old kindly matriarch to the congregation of younglings currently assembled.

She always had loved being around children, especially her own and their offspring.

"Hey, now." Hatsune chided, "They don't call you Nana Kanade for nothing."

It was true, Kanade smiled gently as her mind passed through the years of her memory. Through their time spent together in seasons passed, Kanade and Hatsune had forged a close friendship, to the point that they each regarded the other as more a kindred sister than a mere friend. And the result of that had been Kanade featuring so prominently in the lives of Hatsune's children and grandchildren that they regarded her as their adoptive aunt and grandmother by that right alone.

Kanade herself had never actually married and started a family of her own. She simply hadn't felt the need to. It wasn't some misguided sense of devotion to a long lost lover. It wasn't her refusing to move on from the tragedies of her past and get on with her own life, perhaps to fall in love again.

No. And although that love had remained there, bright and bold as she'd known it always would, it had simply taken on a different form, manifest in the affections she felt for those presently gathered in the room around her.

They were her family.

"No regrets?" Hatsune asked, as if reaching into Kanade's head and plucking out her thoughts as she meandered through them. But it was no trick or supernatural psychic vibe. Hatsune could simply read her dearest friend that well.

"You know," Kanade began, looking around at the joy that filled that room. Family engaging in conversation; young children playing games together, and enjoying the plentiful bounty of a party buffet, "I could die tomorrow, happy, and with only one regret."

Hatsune raised an eyebrow, "What would that be?"

"Never telling your brother that I loved him."

Hatsune chuckled, placing her hand on Kanade's knee and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Well, don't deprive us of your company just yet, old lady." She teased before rising carefully to her feet, a few of her joints creaking in protest, "There are a few people here who still need you."

Kanade chuckled to herself, watching Hatsune make her way over to where her grandchildren were playing.

"I'm not going anywhere."

There were still memories to be made.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 6: Memories and Futures**

**Author's Note: **Didn't make you wait long for this one, did I? A brief wrap up of things, really. The epilogue of this book will follow hopefully in the not too distant future.


	14. Book 2: Epilogue

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book II: The Beachfront**

**Epilogue**

-o-O-o-

Upon first opening his eyes, the sensation that Yuzuru became immediately aware of was a feeling of pure and complete serenity. Warm summer sunshine embraced him in its radiant glow, and off to his right not too far into the distance he could hear the gentle sound of waves crashing against the sandy shore. Carefully, he sat up, looking around and finding himself on a very familiar beach.

The second sensation was a momentary flood of memories, strikingly distant and yet somehow familiar.

In the few moments it took him to fully process them, to take them in and assimilate precisely what they meant, Yuzuru also realised one very important point.

He was dead. And it wasn't for the first time.

With an almost dejected sigh he allowed that simple fact to sink in for at least a little while, gazing out to sea all the while. He sat there, doing nothing more than thinking, until well after the sun had sunk below the clear, distant horizon.

By the time the stars were making themselves known, and an unnaturally large moon announced its presence by lifting itself gracefully into the sky, Yuzuru decided it was time to shake off the last of his reverie. There were some things he needed to do. And he only had a couple of decades in which to do them.

-o-O-o-

Truth be told, time had little to no real meaning in this place. Although Yuzuru was vaguely aware of its passing, he remained untouched by its unending march forwards. With enough willpower he found that he could actually call upon it directly in order to shape the world around him almost entirely to his whim. But there were some limits.

Still, as time moved on, he urged a few features here and there to change at his request, and others he allowed to develop entirely of their own accord. Just a few tweaks here and there, and at his behest the scenery became much more comfortable to him, something much more familiar and recognisable.

And, when he slept at night, he even found that his dreams could serve as a window back into the corporeal realm of the living. Of course, all he ever saw was Kanade.

It wasn't every night that he could see her. But it was often enough. And he noticed that, unlike him, she remained very much bound to the vagary of time as it drew her through her life.

Yuzuru caught glimpses of Kanade as her vibrant youth progressed into demure maturity, waning after her middle ages and onwards into the beyond. Innocence gave way to wisdom. Beauty yielded to the gentle graces of age. Everything about her changed, and yet nothing changed at all.

From a distance, he watched as Kanade built a life for herself. Yuzuru felt a certain measure sorrow as he watched her age, never finding or even seemingly seeking out another to fill the hole in her life that he had obviously left. But not once did he get any sense from Kanade that _she _felt her life was anything less than contented.

Quite the contrary, in fact, as Yuzuru witnessed her become an integral part of Hatsune's family. She obviously felt love, and she gave and shared it in return without ever actually being _in_ love. And from the looks of things, that seemed as if it were more than enough for her.

As he watched over her, a content and fulfilled old lady slowly took the younger Kanade's place. And, watching on all the while, Yuzuru knew that it wouldn't be long until her deepest wish – the one she kept mostly to herself, shielded from the world – would be granted, and the pair of them would be together again.

It was only a matter of time.

-o-O-o-

Night had long-since descended by the time Kanade opened her eyes. The air was comfortably fresh without being cold, and the stars twinkled silently down at her from high above. As her memories returned to her, lifetimes all in all, she became aware of somebody gently stroking her hair. Her head was resting in somebody's lap.

"It's nice to see you're finally awake." A welcoming silhouette leaned over her from above.

Kanade blinked, looking up into familiar copper-hued eyes and a warm, affectionate smile. She moved to sit up, turning to face him.

"Yuzuru?"

He simply smiled back at her.

Without warning, Kanade flung herself into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and tacking Yuzuru to the sand in a tight embrace. He pulled his arms tight around her in turn, holding her close as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"I've missed you so much." She whimpered softly into the collar of his shirt, her grip on him firm and unyielding.

"I've missed you too," he whispered into her ear, "I've been waiting for a while."

"A lifetime." Kanade spoke back, loosening her arms a little bit and moving away without getting up, just enough so that they could look one-another in the eye as they spoke without surrendering the embrace.

"I saw bits and pieces." Yuzuru confessed to her, meeting her deep auric gaze, "You seemed happy, but you never…" he trailed off, leaving the ending unspoken and hanging between them.

Kanade's eyes danced, overflowing with affection, "Your love was more than enough for me. It always will be."

Yuzuru couldn't resist. The kiss his lips brushed across Kanade's own, though brief and fleeting, said everything that words simply couldn't. But Kanade didn't let it end there. Recapturing his lips, she replied with the fervour of a lifetime of unexpressed love and adoration.

A lifetime, expressed in that simple tender gesture.

That night, beneath the stars, the couple made love.

-o-O-o-

"You know," Kanade began, sitting contentedly on the sand, nuzzled closely into Yuzuru's side as he held her close with an arm around her shoulder, "This beach bears a striking resemblance to the one where we had our first date."

Yuzuru gave her a knowing chuckle and a light squeeze, "No fooling you, huh?"

"Nope."

Looking down at the petite silver-haired girl beside him, Yuzuru noticed that she had her eyes closed, as if she were thinking of something.

"Mixed feelings?" he asked quietly.

Kanade shook her head slowly before reopening her eyes and returning his gaze, "Fond memories, mostly. I loved it here. Well… _There._"

Yuzuru simply nodded and looked back out across the shimmering sea, "And I don't suppose you want to stay here for a while? You know, catch up on the time we missed?"

It was a pretty redundant question. He already knew what the answer would be, just as he had the last time around. This place could be their own personal utopia, and they could enjoy it for all of eternity, just the two of them. But then again, that wasn't really _living_ in quite the same way.

Although he wasn't looking at her, Yuzuru could hear the smile upon Kanade's lips when she spoke, "I'd like to share a lifetime with you, Yuzuru. After the last time, I think we deserve it."

"Well, then…" Yuzuru shifted, rising to his feet as Kanade turned to regard him. Brushing off the sand that still clung to his trouser legs as he straightened up, Yuzuru then extended a hand down to her, one which she was more than happy to accept. Carefully, he pulled Kanade to her feet, "Let's see what we can do about that."

Looking up at him, their eyes meeting and feeling the joy and eagerness that only came with the prospect of what lay ahead, Kanade lightly touched her fingertips lovingly to the soft skin of Yuzuru's cheek. Seeking out his lips a final time, a tenderly chaste kiss was all that was needed.

He smiled down upon her.

She smiled back up at him.

An instant later, the beachfront was empty, save for the gentle song of the ocean breaking against the shore.

-o-O-o-

**Epilogue**

**Author's Notes: **And there lies the end of Book 2. I wanted that one to be something of a bittersweet tragedy, and I hope that at some point it struck a chord with you, or perhaps even left a little lump in your throat. I must admit, it was a difficult one to write. And I struggled with some of it for quite a bit. But hey, we got through it, and here we are now. I truly hope you enjoyed it.

Work on the third book begins after this. My plan is for a bit more light-hearted comedy, a stronger appearance of the original cast, and a less fluff-oriented plot. So watch this space, and I hope to see you there.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


	15. Book 3: Ch 1: Setting The Stage

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

**Our Beats Incarnate**

**Book III: The Piano**

**Chapter 1: Setting The Stage**

-o-O-o-

_Before I knew it I was running,_

_And you lead me by the hand._

_We left yesterday behind us,_

_We hold tomorrow in our hands._

_I thought I heard it,_

_I even thought I felt it,_

_With the heart beating in my chest._

_The new day is arriving,_

_Along with the dawning sun,_

_Your steady beats lift my soul from rest._

_I thought it was waiting,_

_I thought it was calling out to me._

_And my soul reverberated,_

_I know I found our destiny._

_Just like my dreams, the day departed._

_And as I watch the daylight fade,_

_I wave the dream a fond farewell,_

_My soul, your beats, will dawn another day…_

Kanade's fingers came to rest lightly atop the polished faux ivory keys of the grand piano as the last mellifluous note faded into the calm night air, the soft intonations of her voice yielding to sweet silence as the song itself evaporated from her lips.

Her chest rose and fell as she sought to catch her breath. For a brief moment, all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing, and the throb of her own heartbeat in her ears.

And then the crowd began to cheer and roar with rambunctious applause.

Kanade's smile was slight but earnest.

-o-O-o-

"Come on, Otonashi! Get your butt in gear!"

With a sarcastic roll of his eyes, Yuzuru ever so slightly increased his pace as he pushed his broom across the stage from one side to the other. The collection of fallen glitter, long pearlescent feathers and plush down that it captured along the way soon developed into an unwieldy pile that threatened to topple and blow away in the light breeze of the exposed open-air arena.

"You know, Yuri," Yuzuru began, leaning an elbow against the handle of his broom, adopting a pose better suited to the locale of a bar, "this would be a lot easier if we just used the vacuum instead of some brushes."

"You know the rules." The green-eyed girl scoldingly reminded him, "We can't use the mech until the piano's been shifted." She pointed over to the polished black grand piano situated in the middle of the stage, lid propped open, several of the spotlights still shining down upon it as if the instrument itself had descended from the heavens above.

Yuzuru looked it over. Apparently it belonged to Angel, the silvery-white haired young woman who doubled as both the pianist and lead singer of the group, Angel Beats. Rumour was that it was her own personal instrument, and that she had it priority shipped from one concert to the next, and that she wouldn't perform without it.

The latter part of that wasn't actually a rumour, Yuzuru knew for a fact. It had been top media news only a few months ago when a concert somewhere on the group's North American tour had begun more than three hours late, all because the piano hadn't arrived at the venue on time, and Angel refused to take to the stage using the alternatives provided by the organisers in a bid to push things forwards.

Yuzuru was never really surprised when he discovered world-famous performers behaving in such a manner. She was probably used to getting her own way, and everybody wouldmake allowances for it. Not that her fans had been overly pleased. But then, who could blame them when the very objects of their admiration and adoration refused to perform due to some misguided sense of priority and instrumental snobbery?

He eyeballed the piano somewhat ruefully. By simply being there, it was making his job ten times as difficult as it needed to be, "It's not like we'd break it." He mumbled as he gave it the eyeball.

Yuri simply shook her head, though, standing firm on the issue, "The owners refuse to risk it." She was obviously more in the know than Yuzuru, although that made sense, since she was a fair way higher up the pecking order than he was, "Besides, at the end of the day it's _still_ in the contract."

"Figures."

Yuzuru resigned himself to the fact that he was doomed to hand-sweep the stage area with his raggedy old coir broom. Sure, it had a wide head. But the thing was so damned over-used, with enough bristles missing, that if he didn't take particular care he'd end up having to do twice the work by needlessly retracing his steps back along the path he'd just cleared for himself amidst the littered stage.

How did he manage to end up with the old ropey brush, anyway?

With a slow glance around it seemed that the rest of the clean-up crew were coping just fine. Was he the butt of some cruel cosmic joke, or were his colleagues just playing tricks on him for their own amusement?

Most likely neither. But it was worth a muse.

With a shake of his head, he returned to his sweeping.

"I heard that somebody damaged the piano during Angel Beats's European tour." Hinata spoke up from a little way away. Yuzuru hadn't even realised that his friend had been within earshot of the conversation, "Just a scuff. The entire clean-up crew lost their jobs over it."

Yuzuru scoffed in disbelief. But a quick glance across at Hinata, who showed no sign at all that he was joking, quickly put paid to that. "Wow." Yuzuru blinked a couple of times as the fact sunk in, "Sounds like she takes it a bit_ too _seriously."

"Yeah, well," Hinata swept his pile of glittering confetti and feathers over to join Yuzuru's, "when you're pretty much the biggest star in the world and have that kind of influence, you can make things like that happen."

Naturally, that made Yuzuru begin to wonder precisely what this Angel was like as a person. Somebody who got other people fired _just _for scuffing her piano? That made her seem like a bit of a prima donna, with a clear penchant for the dramatic. Surely it wasn't that much trouble to have a scuff buffed out and repaired between gigs? It hardly seemed worth ruining somebody else's life over.

Much less an entire team of people…

But then, Hinata had been right; it wasn't as if it was too out-there as far as superstardom was concerned. Stories made the tabloids all the time about celebrities behaving in this way or that, their pompous arrogance leading to some form of outrage that seemed strangely noteworthy, despite how petty it all seemed.

Even if it did sell papers to the masses, it was just one more reason for Yuzuru to avoid reading them, and avoid celebrity wherever possible! Who had time for the selfish whims of the stars when they had a job of their own and day-to-day life to live?

With a shake of his head, Yuzuru banished the thoughts entirely. No point pondering about this Angel now. He had work to get on with.

-o-O-o-

Sweeping the stage always seemed to last a lifetime or more when it was being done by hand, especially as the in-house clean-up team was comparatively small. Still, at least the rest of the mess and litter – left by a crowd that had been tens of thousands strong – could be left to the external company that the venue contracted specifically for their larger events.

That was a little bit of relief for Yuzuru. They'd be working well into the middle of next week, if it hadn't been for that small reprieve! But even with the sweeping done, that left all the equipment to be properly stowed away into storage until it was needed again. And that meant the meticulous monotony of checking, double-checking, and even triple-checking it all against the checklist of inventory as it went back into its allocated spot.

But, in the end, even that mind-numbing task eventually passed. Home time just couldn't come soon enough.

Of course, there was always that one remaining item that managed to evade all the checks. And for some reason, it was always something overly heavy, bulky, and difficult to carry.

Yuzuru grumbled to himself as he carried a box full of what he felt amounted to little more than weighted junk all the way from the stage area towards the nearest store room. It didn't matter to him if it was in the right place or not – he'd just mark the new location down on the list at his earliest convenience - as long as it was away and accounted for. He just wanted to get home.

Moving it by hand was proving a challenge, however, and he was beginning to regret the decision not to retrieve one of the transport trolleys to carry the weight for him. Though bulky and ungainly, obscuring half of his view and resulting in a pitiful gait somewhere between a limp and a shuffle, he was making some slow-but-steady progress.

But he couldn't really see where he was going.

The sudden, unexpected creak of hinges caused him to stall. A door, immediately ahead, but completely obscured from view by the object in his arms was quickly flung open. Whoever stepped out of the room obviously didn't see Yuzuru.

They collided with some force; enough to knock the box clear out of Yuzuru's hands.

He didn't have any time to react, sharp solid edge landing directly on his foot, all the mass within putting enough pressure into the impact to draw a yelp of anguished pain from Yuzuru's lungs.

Reflexively he stepped back, eyes clenched in a tight wince as the shock surged through the nerves in his foot like molten lava.

"Geeze!" he yelled, angered and aggrieved, lifting his foot and holding his shin just to take the weight off, "Watch where you're going!"

When the pain in his foot reduced to a heated throb, tempered to a mere sulphuric burn, Yuzuru was able to relax his cringe enough to reopen his eyes and see what damage had been done. His foot returned to the floor, testingly – it didn't feel like any bones were broken, though he found that he couldn't put his entire weight on it just yet. Hopefully it was alright, a mere bit of bruising and not just adrenaline hiding the true depths of the pain.

The box he'd been carrying had somehow managed to roll clear across the corridor – a remarkable feat for a loaded cube - though it remained thankfully intact. With just a little bit of luck the contents were undamaged too, or at least not too severely out of shape.

And then there was the person who bumped into him. A woman, surprisingly short in stature given the force of the impact, with tussled cascading locks of platinum-white hair framing a porcelain face that seemed remarkably neutral, given the circumstances. Eyes of a deep, almost fathomless auric hue looked not just at him, but seemingly _into _him as he simply stared back.

"You need to be more careful when you're carrying heavy things." Her voice was quiet, level, and curiously devoid of any force or assertion.

Yuzuru felt his hackles rise defensively without so much as a moment of delay, filling his cheeks with angry fire, "You need to watch where you're going!"

A voice buried somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind admonished him for giving in to his anger and making such a petty retort. But between the discomfort in his foot and the indignant anger twisting his face into a scowl, he dismissed it easily enough.

The girl offered only a simple shrug as her reply, before collecting her coat around herself and stepping past Yuzuru and his spilled box, heading in the direction of the nearest exit from the building. Yuzuru could only grumble a few choice words under his breath as he let her go, moving to retrieve the fallen container instead.

Naturally his supervisor, Yuri, picked that precise moment to turn up.

"Wow" she mused idly, looking back over Yuzuru in the direction the white-haired girl had retreated, "Were you just talking to Angel?"

"No." Yuzuru responded tersely as he crouched, wrapping his arms around the box and setting himself as counterweight against it so that he could pick it up, "Just somebody who knocked into me… Made me drop all of this!"

With a grunt, he straightened up again.

"That was Angel, you moron!" Yuri rolled her eyes, "Geeze, didn't you recognise her?"

In all honesty, Yuzuru wouldn't have recognised Angel if he'd so much as tripped over her. The irony was, of course, that he'd just done precisely that. Or at least walked into her – her into him…

_Whatever._

His mind quickly traced back to just how angry he'd been, and the rude little tirade he'd descended into. He also remembered Hinata's words about Angel supposedly getting somebody fired for scuffing her piano. What would she have done to somebody who'd effectively hurled abuse and accusations at her in a moment of rage?

He felt a distinct chill run down his spine.

"Shit."

He dropped the box again. Thankfully his injured foot once again broke its fall.

-o-O-o-

_Shit shit shit!_

Yuzuru ran at an almost panicked hobble, all but dragging his injured foot behind him as he made his way quickly down the corridor. He was eager to catch the young woman before she left the building, if only to save his job! The way she'd taken off after the incident with the box, he presumed she was heading for the main back stage exit.

Sure enough, as he rounded the final corner, there she was with her arm outstretched to the door's release bar. It looked like Yuzuru was just in the nick of time.

"Hey!" he yelled, waving his arms frantically to get her attention, "Angel!"

The girl looked up, a little bit of confusion in her eyes, mixed with something that looked an awful lot like weariness. It was a fleeting moment of insight for Yuzuru, the neutrality returning to Angel's face with a vengeance mere moments after her eyes fell upon the flailing, hobbling fellow. Had she been expecting somebody else? Somebody she really didn't want to see?

Panting as he drew in closer, Yuzuru tried his best for a big confident smile, but it seemed that the best he could muster was an almost nervous smirk. He tried to keep the fact that he was currently addressing one of the biggest, most influential names in the music industry from playing too heavily on his mind, "Look, I wanted to-"

Angel caught him completely by surprise when she silenced him, a single small finger pressing to his lips with a little bit more pressure than was actually comfortable, "Shhh! Keep it down." She released him, taking her finger away so that he could talk, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologise for earlier." Yuzuru lowered his voice, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat uncertainly, "I didn't think…"

He faded to silence – the girl didn't really seem to be paying him much attention, her focus returning to the door the instant he started speaking. It seemed almost as if she was trying to gauge whatever happened to lie beyond it. She still held the release bar with her other hand, almost leaning against it, though she didn't actually make any immediate move to depart

"You know it's rude to not pay attention when somebody's trying to apologise to you." Yuzuru pointed out in irritation.

If Angel heard him at all, she gave no outwards indication.

Yuzuru felt the frustrated anger begin to rise up once again. Here he was, trying to put things right after what had happened earlier on, and the girl before him couldn't even show enough courtesy or manners to actually listen and hear him out! It was the height of rudeness, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" his voice began to rise.

Angel turned back to face him, the silencing finger returning to his lips again.

"I have to go." Before Yuzuru could so much as muster an objection, she pressed down on the bar and slipped out through the exit.

As the door slammed shut in his face with a highly audible click of the lock, Yuzuru was left alone, fuming in the now completely silent corridor..

-o-O-o-

At last out of the building, Kanade made her way down the service alleyway at a brisk pace, eager to get back to the car and away from the venue as quickly as she could and without further incident. There were always fewer fans around the back-stage exit, oftentimes none at all due to venue security, and that kept things quiet – just how she liked them.

It wasn't that she didn't like or appreciate her fans. She knew that without their support, she wouldn't be where she was today. It was just that wherever the fans went, the paparazzi were bound to follow. And it was _them _who she was trying desperately to avoid. Despite her music, despite the band, despite the fame and fortune that had swiftly followed after their breakthrough performance those short few years ago – _had it really only been a couple of years? – _Kanade _still_ didn't feel comfortable speaking in public, much less about her private life and things of that nature. And that was all they ever seemed to want to discuss, trying to draw it out of her so that they could dissect it in the most public way possible.

_How's life on the road?  
>Any tensions between you and the rest of the band?<br>What are your plans for the future?  
>Is it true you've been dating Mr X, Y or Z?<em>

It all made her terribly uncomfortable. It wasn't often she'd offer private interviews, either. Not after the few she'd tried in the past, and the long, uncomfortable silences that it had entailed.

Since then, she'd been playing the role of the strong silent type, at least as far as the mass media were concerned. And in a way, so far at least, that had worked out for the best. It cultivated an air of mystery about her, one that the band's management had been more than willing to cultivate and exploit Knowing how much she valued her privacy, her band mates – _her friends_ – also had no problem with playing along. And in a way, it even seemed to endear her further still with the fans.

She was content with that. The only people who really knew her all that well _were_ the other members of Angel Beats; her closest friends.

Reaching the end of the alleyway, sure enough the limo was waiting right there for her. The tinted windows denied her any clear view through to the inside, but she already knew who'd be waiting for her within.

Readily enough, as she approached, the door began to open from the inside, revealing the scruffy pink hair and welcoming carmine eyes of Masami Iwasawa. Kanade thankfully repaid the smile in turn with a slight smile of her own, Iwasawa sliding out of the way and letting Kanade into the limo.

As Kanade had expected, the other three band members were there to greet her too. From the looks of things they'd all just finished dealing with the group's fans themselves, and were ready for some rest and relaxation back at the hotel – Miyuki looked like she was actually on the verge of drifting off to sleep right there in the limo, eyes half closed and head slightly lolling off to one side.

Kanade often wondered how they withstood it all.

"So," Iwasawa began, "What kept you?" there was a slightly teasing tone to her voice.

"Bumped into an orderly." Kanade explained simply, settling into a vacant spot and allowing herself to relax, any remaining tension slipping from her shoulders, "He held me up for a bit."

Hisako, closest to the front, lightly rapped her knuckles a couple of times on the one-way glass that separated the band from the driver. Barely a moment later the car began to move off. A comfortable bed was just that little bit closer…

"Oh yeah?" Iwasawa raised her eyebrows suggestively, a full-blown smirk settling across her lips.

"It's not like that." Kanade frowned slightly, "He wanted to apologise for an accident. But I had to get away before the "mob" made it to the back stage entrance."

"Avoiding the fans again, huh?" Iwasawa obviously wasn't quite done with her teasing yet.

Kanade didn't really mind too much, though. Even if it felt like a grilling, Iwasawa was far too laid back for either of them to take things too seriously. This amicable ribbing had simply become a comfortable part of their friendship, not to mention their post-concert repartee. They were both just letting off steam, even if it was a rather peculiar way to wind down.

Still, the adrenaline from their avid performance had to go somewhere.

So Kanade simply dismissed it all out of hand, "All of the sane ones probably went home a while ago."

With a knowing chuckle, Iwasawa couldn't help but agree, "Yeah." She'd just spent the last hour or so dealing with the mass of stragglers. But it was something she was used to, and even quite capable of handling, "It's all stalkers and lingering photographers at this hour." She winked playfully.

"Yeah." Kanade remembered the few times she'd been forced to endure it. Now, she simply avoided it like the plague. With a simple shrug, she dismissed that out of hand too, "Anyway," she looked out of the darkened window as the lights of the city rolled by, "Moving on to other things..."

The rest of the journey back to the hotel was filled with much lighter conversation. It was always good to unwind after the stresses of a sold-out gig.

They needed to be as refreshed as possible as quickly as they comfortably could. After all, the next one was always just around the corner.

-o-O-o-

**Chapter 1: Setting The Stage**

**Author's Note: **Operation Book 3: Start!

Do you see where I'm going with this? I sure hope not, or there's not much point in my writing it…

Anyway, I'm sure that at least some of you are wondering why I didn't call the band Girls Dead Monster, since it obviously contains GirlDeMo's members, plus one. I won't go into the dynamics of the band just yet (it's likely to crop up in later chapters anyway), but needless to say, it's Angel Beats for a reason, and because it amuses me.

Also, regarding the song at the beginning... There's a fair chance you may recognise the inspiration. I'll leave it at that.

Looking forwards to getting some feedback on this. Any questions, please ask. I'll answer, though I won't give out spoilers. Constructive criticism is also welcome.

Thanks for reading!

NKC


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